Japan's women's ice hockey team, Smile Japan, blanked France 3-0 behind goalie Nana Fujimoto's 25 saves in their opening game at the world championships in Espoo, Finland, on Thursday. Mei Miura opened the scoring for Japan when she netted a backhander from point-blank range in ...
Smile Japan goalie Nana Fujimoto out for six months following surgery on shoulder
Smile Japan star goalkeeper Nana Fujimoto will be sidelined for six months following shoulder surgery, The Japan Times has learned. Considered one of the top female goalies in the world, Fujimoto was injured during Japan's second preliminary-round game at the Pyeongchang Olympics, a 3-1 loss ...
The Pyeongchang Olympics have had a bit of everything since Yuna Kim ignited the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony on Feb. 9. Political theater, incredible athletic achievements, the wrath of Mother Nature, and more Russians caught doping. The first week was significantly overshadowed by ...
Smile Japan must build on progress
The women's national ice hockey team, Smile Japan, ended its Olympic tournament with a 2-3 record on Tuesday night following a 1-0 loss to Switzerland in the fifth-place game. Though Japan was eliminated from medal contention in the Group B preliminary round with a 1-2 ...
Switzerland edges Smile Japan to earn fifth-place finish
Switzerland defeated Smile Japan 1-0 in the fifth-place game at the Kwandong Hockey Centre on Tuesday night. Evelina Raselli picked up a loose puck for a breakaway and beat Nana Fujimoto to the stick side just 3 minutes and 19 seconds into the game for ...
Smile Japan triumphs on Ayaka Toko's overtime goal against Sweden
Ayaka Toko's overtime goal gave Smile Japan its second straight victory with a 2-1 triumph over Sweden at the Kwandong Hockey Centre on Sunday night in a 5th-8th classification-round game. Toko fired in the winner from the slot just over three minutes into the extra ...
Smile Japan records first-ever Olympic victory by trouncing combined Korea squad
Smile Japan scored a historic victory with a 4-1 triumph over Korea on Wednesday in their final Group B preliminary-round game at Kwandong Hockey Centre. Japan had lost 12 straight Olympic contests going back to the 1998 Nagano Games before notching the win. Japan dropped ...
Switzerland all but ends Japan's hopes of women's ice hockey medal
Japan fought hard but was unable to overcome Switzerland in the women's ice hockey competition on Monday, falling 3-1 in its second preliminary round match and seeing its hopes of advancing all but dashed at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Japan suffered its second defeat in a ...
Sweden scores decisive goal in third period against Smile Japan in tournament opener
Smile Japan suffered a 2-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening Group B preliminary-round match at the Kwandong Hockey Centre on Saturday night. Japan fell behind early in the contest, then tied it late in the second period, before surrendering the decisive goal early in ...
Return to roots helps Akane Hosoyamada realize an Olympic dream
"She is the one I trust the most." There is no higher praise for an athlete than to hear a comment like that from their coach or manager. The words of Japan women's national hockey team coach Takeshi Yamanaka crystallize what teammates and mentors think about ...
Japan women's hockey team aiming for medal at Pyeongchang Olympics
The Japanese women's national hockey team hasn't posted a single win in its previous two trips to the Winter Olympics. But "Smile Japan" isn't just looking for a first win at next month's Pyeongchang Olympics. It's looking to capture a medal. Although that might sound like ...
Japan capped a stellar week by beating France 4-0 and making it five wins out of five at the second-tier women's ice hockey world championships on Friday. Smile Japan, which had already secured promotion to the top division a day earlier with a 4-1 victory ...
