South Korea defeated Poland 4-0 on Tuesday for its second straight victory at the third-tier women's world hockey championship on home ice, moving closer to a promotion to the next level in international hockey.
Forwards Kim Hee-won and Choi Ji-yeon each had a goal and an assist in the breezy South Korean win at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship Division I Group B at Suwon Ice Rink in Suwon, some 35 kilometers south of Seoul.
This is the third-highest level of the IIHF women's world championships, below the World Championship and World Championship Division I Group A.
South Korean goalie Huh Eun-bee, who turned aside 39 shots in a 2-1 overtime win over Italy Monday night, made 35 saves for the shutout. South Korea killed off seven minor penalties.
There are four other countries in action this week in Suwon: Britain, Kazakhstan, Poland and Slovenia.
The winner of this six-nation tournament after round-robin play will be promoted to the Division I Group A tournament for next year. South Korea has never made it past the Division I Group B.
With five points from the OT win and regulation win, South Korea now leads the six-nation tournament.
For the second straight game, South Korea scored the opening goal. With South Korea on a power play at 16:25 mark, defender Park Chae-lin unleashed a hard point shot through traffic. Forward Park Jong-ah provided the screen on goalie Martyna Sass by skating through the top of the crease just as the puck made its way toward the net.
Kim Hee-won, the overtime hero in Monday's win, potted South Korea's second goal at 9:43 mark in the second period. Sass made a kick save on a shot by Choi Ji-yeon from the slot, but the rebound went right to the unmarked Kim, who scored into the gaping net for her second goal in as many days.
South Korea opened up a 3-0 lead when Kim set up Choi for a snap shot from the right faceoff circle at 13:07.
Captain Han Soo-jin then put the game further out of Poland's reach, as she scored on a 3-on-1 rush for a 4-0 lead just under three minutes into the final frame.
Earlier Tuesday, Italy defeated Britain 2-0, and Slovenia got past Kazakhstan 2-1.
South Korea will next face Slovenia at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Britain at 3:45 p.m. Saturday and Kazakhstan at 3:45 p.m. Sunday.
Source: Yonhap News Agency