Ice hockey-Germany beat Japan, Italy bow to Sweden, Canada to begin women's title defence

MILAN, Feb 7 : Germany secured their first win of the women's Olympic ice hockey tournament, beating Japan 5-2 on Saturday, hosts Italy lost 6-1 to Sweden while defending champions Canada prepared for their delayed Milano Cortina opener against Switzerland.

Germany scored 44 seconds into the contest when forward Luisa Welcke rifled the puck toward the goal and captain Daria Gleissner tapped in the rebound from close range at Milano Rho arena in the Group B match.

Forward Emily Nix put Germany 2-0 up in the ninth minute when she slipped through the Japanese defence and flipped an easy wrist shot around goalie Miyuu Masuhara and Nicola Hadraschek shot it through the five-hole less than five minutes later.

Germany kept their foot on the gas in the second period, when Hadraschek's point shot ricocheted off Masuhara's chest and into the goal in the sixth minute and alternate captain Laura Kluge hit one in off the crossbar about five minutes later.

Japan injected life into the game with two goals in 22 seconds late in the second quarter, courtesy of forwards Mei Miura and Yumeka Wajima, but German goalkeeper Sandra Abstreiter stopped the Japanese momentum in the final period.

Japan will hope to tune out the home fans as they next play Italy on Monday when Germany face France.

Italy had opened with a 4-1 win over France on Thursday but were brought back down to earth at the Santagiulia arena by the Swedes, who made it two wins from two following a 4-1 victory over Germany.

Jessica Adolfsson put Sweden ahead in the 10th minute, Sofia Lundin doubled their lead 10 minutes into the second period and Sara Hjalmarsson added a third two minutes later.

Franziska Stocker pulled one back for the Italians six minutes before the end of the second