Japan finished top of Group B in the preliminary round but couldn't carry the momentum over to the quarterfinals.
Hanae Kubo scored the dramatic winning goal in Japan’s final match of the ice hockey tournament's preliminary round.
Smile Japan is aiming to improve on the country's best-ever Olympic result of sixth place at the Pyeongchang Games.
Medal hopeful Japan will face defending champion U.S. in a rematch of the 2019 worlds.