S. Korean hockey goalie rejoices Asiad win after years of losing

By Yoo Jee-ho

SAPPORO, Japan, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- After being on the losing end of too many losses to count, South Korean women's hockey goalie Shin So-jung finally enjoyed an Asian Winter Games victory on Saturday.

South Korea demolished Thailand 20-0, with Shin facing exactly zero shots in the first period. Her backup, Han Do-hee, played the last two periods, as South Korea outshot Thailand 108-1 at Tsukisamu Gymnasium.

This was South Korea's first win in women's hockey in 16 Winter Asiad games. Previously, it had gone 0-15 with four goals scored and 242 goals allowed.

Though she barely broke a sweat in Saturday's win, Shin said she still enjoyed it because she'd been a part of some dubious history and the win brought back some memories.

"This reminded me of some past Asian Games," said Shin, who played at the 2007 and 2011 competitions. "I've never imagined we'd ever play a game like this. I was so happy even though I didn't face any shots."

At the most recent Asian Games in 2011, South Korea lost all four games, scoring once while giving up 37.

"I guess we were kind of like Thailand today," Shin recalled. "I faced some 140, 150 shots, and I could barely breathe."

After each game, the national anthem for the victorious team is played at the arena. Shin said she didn't feel like she was actually at an Asian Winter Games, because she'd never heard the anthem before.

Shin, who graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Canada and joined the New York Riveters in the National Women's Hockey League, said the celebration won't last very long. South Korea, world No. 23, will take on the seventh-ranked Japan on Monday.

"We wanted to stay focused today, because it would have an adverse effect on our next game otherwise," the 26-year-old said. "Before the third period, the coaches told us to find our game. We got away from team play a bit, and we tried to find the good rhythm again."

South Korea earned an automatic berth at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as the host country, while Japan played its way into the competition by winning the final qualification tournament earlier this month. The two regional rivals have been paired in the same group at the Olympics.

Shin admitted Japan won't be an easy opponent, but that doesn't mean she will be intimidated.

"For about a month now, I've been telling myself, 'We can beat Japan,' before falling asleep," she added. "We have to take this slowly. We'll meet again at the Olympics, with most of the same players in action. Hopefully, we can build on this experience and play well at the Olympics."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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