Jim Armstrong 
Japan women's ice hockey national team members pose for photos on February 5 in Tomakomai, Hokkaido Prefecture, a day before the start of the IIHF Group G Women’s Ice Hockey Final Olympic Qualification tournament. (©Courtesy of JAPAN ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION/via KYODO)
Read the full story on SportsLook - Smile Japan Overpowers France 7-1 in the Opening Game of the Final Olympic Qualifier
Makoto Ito and Yumeka Wajima scored two goals apiece on Thursday, February 6 as Smile Japan thrashed France 7-1 in its opening game of the the IIHF Group G Women's Ice Hockey Final Olympic Qualification tournament.
Bidding for a fourth straight Olympic berth and fifth overall, Japan wasted little time in setting the pace at Nepia Ice Arena in Tomakomai, Hokkaido Prefecture.
Ito put the hosts up 1-0 just two minutes in when she took a pass from Akane Shiga and beat France goaltender Justine Crousy Theode with a blistering wrister from the top of the face-off circle.
Controlling the flow of play, Japan made it 2-0 just over five minutes later. Wajima broke in and beat Crousy Theode with another wrist shot from the face-off circle.
Wajima then made it 3-0 after she picked up a rebound off a slapshot by Ayaka Hitosato and fired it over the outstretched pad of Crousy Theode at 15:27 of the first frame.
Desperate to stop the onslaught, France coach Gregory Tarle called a timeout in which he urged his players to pick up the pace.
But Japan showed no sign of letting up after the break.
Smile Japan Extends its Lead to 4-0
Diminutive forward Remi Koyama gave Japan a comfortable 4-0 lead at 2:04 of the second period when she scooped up a generous rebound off the pad of Crousy Theode and niftily back-handed the puck into the net.
Tarle then replaced Crousy Theode with Margaux Mameri but Ito scored her second midway through the second, firing home a rebound over the pad of the new goaltender.
France finally broke through with just over a minute left in the second period. Julia Mesplede deflected a cantering pass by Sehana Galbrun over the shoulder of Japan goaltender Miyuu Masuhara.
Riri Noro and Kanami Seki added third-period goals to complete the rout.
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.
