Korean ice hockey tumbles

Korean ice hockey react after giving up a goal to Japan during their International Ice Hockey Federation Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A match in Goyang, Thursday. / Yonhap

Chances of competing in PyeongChang slim after another loss

By Jung Min-ho

Korean ice hockey players’ audacious dream of competing at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics remains very much in doubt after a critical loss to Japan at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A match in Goyang, Thursday.

Regardless of the result of Korea’s final game against Ukraine on Saturday, the 4-2 defeat confirmed Korea’s relegation to Division I Group B next year.

It also means Korea’s hope of putting a team on the ice at the Olympics is a long shot. Last year, IIHF President Rene Fasel said he would consider bringing back automatic berths for host nations in the Olympics based on Korea’s performance at the championship.

Since only the top 12 teams in the world rankings are allowed to participate in the Olympics, an automatic berth is the only feasible way for Korea, now ranked No. 23, to win a ticket to PyeongChang.

The IIHF abolished the automatic-berth system after the 2006 Turin Games.

Talking to Around the Rings, an Internet publication based in Atlanta last year, Fasel said, “We will do everything possible to support the Korean federation to prepare the team for PyeongChang for 2018. It’s a challenge, but it would not be good for hockey not having the national team for Korea playing in the men’s tournament.”

After watching the Koreans’ performance at the world championship on their home turf, he might have changed his mind.

In a desperate move to prove that its hockey team is world-class, Korea showed aggression out of the gate against Japan but fell quickly after giving up the first goal in only one minute 14 seconds.

Just two minutes after Hiroki Ueno’s mid-range goal, Seiji Takahashi doubled the gap by scoring on a rebound. Then, Ueno hit the net again before the Koreans wrapped up their miserable first period

With Lee Young-jun and Kim Sang-wook sent off the ice in the second period, Korea allowed the fourth goal.

In the third period, Michael Swift, a naturalized forward from Canada, provided a sense of hope when he scored the team’s first goal from mid-range in one minute 15 seconds. Lee Don-ku trimmed the lead to 4-2 two minutes later, but there was no more scoring the rest of the way.

“Players gave up too many scores at the beginning of the game. They were very nervous,” Korea Ice Hockey Association head coach Byun Sun-wook told reporters. “We did well in the second and third period, but there was not enough time.”

Previously, Korea lost to Hungary 7-4, 4-0 to Slovenia and 7-4to Austria.

Byun said he still believes that Team Korea will likely get a chance to compete in PyeongChang after “almost-even matches” against Slovenia and Austria, which competed in the Sochi Games.

Byun was confident that less-than-expected performances of the team’s three naturalized players from Canada ― Brian Radunske, Bryan Young and Swift ― will improve as they get used to international games.

“When it comes to skills, such as game management and scoring ability, they are better than their Korean-born teammates,” Byun said.

“They just could not deliver their best because of pressure they felt in the international competition, about which they had little experience.”

Korea will play its final game of the event against Ukraine at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. It will be aired on SBS CNBC.