Para ice hockey team drop first game to the United States

Choi Si-woo, right, of Korea in action against Josh Pauls of the United States during a group stage game at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing on Sunday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Korea's para ice hockey team dropped their first game of the 2022 Beijing Olympics on Sunday, losing 9-1 to the United States at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing.

Korea got off to a slow start, dropping five points in the first period and then another four in the second period to fall behind 9-0. Korea fought back in the third period, with Jung Seung-hwan scoring the team's only point of the games.

The result wasn't entirely unexpected. According to the world para ice hockey rankings, which are currently determined based on the results of the Ostrava 2021 World Para Ice Hockey World Championships, the United States is the No. 1 team in the world. Korea is ranked at No. 4 after finishing that tournament in fourth place.

Korea is competing in Group A at the Paralympics alongside Canada and the United States. The group was also supposed to include Russia, but the country has been banned from competing following the invasion of Ukraine. With the top three teams from each group advancing, Korea is guaranteed to reach the knockout stage.

The United States also defeated Canada in the first game of the tournament on Saturday, securing first place in the group and earning the right to bypass the quarterfinals and advance straight to the semifinals.

Canada and Korea will face off in the final Group A game on Tuesday to determine their ranking ahead of the knockout stage.

With the two groups separated by ranking — Group A contains the top-ranked teams in the world, while Group B contains teams No. 5 through 8 — the second-place team from Group A will advance straight to the semifinals, while the third-place team will take on the third-place team from Group B in the quarterfinals.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]