Japan Stuns France 3-2 in Thrilling Olympic Women's Hockey Opener as Maeda's Empty-Netter Seals Milano Cortina Debut

Japan earned a crucial 3-2 victory over France in their women's ice hockey Group B opener at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday, February 6, in a dramatic contest that saw both teams make their Olympic debuts in thrilling fashion. The match, played at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, featured multiple lead changes and a tense finish that kept fans on the edge of their seats as Japan ultimately secured the win despite France's valiant late-game push.

Rui Ukita opened the scoring for Japan late in the second period, giving her team a 1-0 advantage heading into the final frame. However, France showed resilience when Lore Baudrit tied the game at 1-1 with just 17 seconds remaining in the second period, sending the teams into the intermission deadlocked. The third period saw Japan regain control before France made things interesting in the dying moments. Suzuka Maeda appeared to seal the victory for Japan with an empty-net goal, but Gabrielle de Serres responded for France with just 12 seconds remaining in regulation, pulling her team within one but ultimately running out of time for the equalizer.

Japan dominated the shot count throughout the match, outshooting France 38-25 and demonstrating superior offensive pressure across all three periods. Despite the territorial advantage, Japan struggled on special teams, failing to capitalize on their lone power play opportunity. France, meanwhile, proved more efficient with the extra skater, converting 1-for-1 on the power play to showcase their ability to execute under pressure even as tournament newcomers.

The victory moves Japan to 1-0-0 in the preliminary round standings, giving them a crucial three points in the highly competitive Group B. Japan will look to build on this momentum as they continue their quest for a medal at Milano Cortina 2026. For France, the loss drops them to 0-0-2 in the tournament and effectively eliminates them from quarterfinal contention, a disappointing outcome in their historic Olympic debut. The French team showed heart and determination throughout, particularly in their late comeback attempt, but ultimately couldn't overcome Japan's steady performance.

Both teams featured strong individual performances, with Ukita and Maeda leading the way for Japan while Baudrit and de Serres demonstrated France's potential despite the defeat. The match highlighted the growing global competitiveness of women's ice hockey, with France's respectable performance against an established program like Japan proving that the sport continues to develop worldwide. Japan's ability to withstand pressure and maintain composure in critical moments will serve them well as they face tougher opponents in the days ahead.