S. Korea Beats China 3-1 in Opening Match of Ice Hockey Asia Championship

The South Korean men's national ice hockey team defeated China in their opening match of the 2027 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Asia Championship.

Led by acting head coach Park Woo-sang, the national team beat China 3-1 in the first match of the tournament held at the Hwasan Ice Rink in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, on November 5, powered by the opening goal from Song Hyeong-chul (HL Anyang), the winning goal from Heo Min-jun (Korea University), and the clincher by Lee Chong-min (Bloomington Bison).

Fifteen core players from HL Anyang, who make up the backbone of this tournament squad, secured a valuable victory by dominating the match from start to finish, even after returning from their Asia League away games in Japan on November 4 and playing immediately.

After a scoreless first period, South Korea broke the deadlock 3 minutes and 52 seconds into the second period.

Song Hyeong-chul calmly finished off a puck that rebounded from Lee Ju-hyung's shot and passed through Kwon Hyun-soo.

Korea subsequently mounted a one-sided offensive, but was denied additional goals by a string of stellar saves from Chinese goaltender Chen Shipeng, who blocked 24 shots in the second period alone, ending the middle frame without further scoring.

After conceding an equalizer 3 minutes and 28 seconds into the third period, South Korea reclaimed the lead when Heo Min-jun charged into the crease and tipped in a shot taken by Lee Yun-seok (Tohoku Free Blades) at 7 minutes and 46 seconds.

Then, with 57 seconds remaining in the game, as China pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker, Lee Chong-min scored an empty-net goal off an assist by Kim Geun-woo to seal the victory.

With Kazakhstan having previously edged Japan 3-2, South Korea will play its second match against Japan—which has formed a younger squad excluding veterans—at 2 p.m. on November 7.

Established by the IIHF in 2024 to expand the base of ice hockey in Asia, the tournament marks its third edition this year.

South Korea finished fourth in the inaugural tournament and placed as runner-up in the second tournament last year.
 

(Photo courtesy of Korea Ice Hockey Association, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.