By Trevor Stynes and Amy Tennery
MILAN, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Hosts Italy reached the quarter-finals of the Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament with a 3-2 victory over Japan at the Milano Rho arena on Monday while Germany snatched a 2-1 overtime win over France.
Sweden are on nine points in top spot in Group B, with Italy three points behind in second. Germany are third with five points and Japan have three. France have completed all four matches and finish with one point.
Italy and Germany meet on Tuesday, with Japan taking on Sweden in the group’s concluding games. The top three advance to the last eight.
Matilde Fantin scored twice in the opening period before Rui Ukita reduced the deficit in the second. Kristin Della Rovere netted Italy’s third goal early in the final period and Akane Shiga’s goal set up a nervy ending.
Italy went in front when Laura Lobis played the puck off the boards and Fantin collected it to send a wrist shot into the roof of the net.
Fantin netted again on a power play but Japan then pulled one back through Rui Ukita’s one-timer.
Italy pulled off some desperate defending late in the second period as Japan began to rack up the shot count.
The players had been back on the ice mere seconds when Della Rovere intercepted the puck and, after her first shot was saved, she netted the rebound to restore Italy’s two-goal advantage.
Akane Shiga’s goal was awarded after a video check with nine minutes remaining but Italy survived a late onslaught.
Germany outshot France 46-14 in normal time but after taking an opening-period lead they were stung by Estelle Duvin’s final-period goal. Katarina Jobst-Smith netted the winner after just over one minute of overtime.
The Germans made their fourth power play count when Laura Kluge netted in the final minute of a first period where France managed a mere two shots.
France withstood further pressure to keep Germany scoreless in the second period and out of nowhere Duvin equalised before the midway point of the final period.
The Welcke twin sisters, Luisa and Lilli, provided the assists for Jobst-Smith’s winning strike.
There is Group A action later on Monday with Canada taking on the Czech Republic at Milano Rho, while at Santagiulia Arena the United States meet Switzerland. All five teams from the group will advance, and their seeding in the last eight will depend on placings in the preliminary standings.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; additional reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Clare Fallon)
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