Japan soar on first day in Nagano

Japan dominated Poland and Germany beat Estonia to open up action at the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships B-Pool. 11 Mar 2013

Japan opened up the World Championships B-Pool with an 11-0 win over Poland.

ⒸMoto Yoshimura

By IPC

Kazuhiro Takahashi scored five of Japan’s 11 goals, opening up the scoring just 40 seconds into the first period off an assist from Satoru Sudo.

Host nation Japan came out roaring on the first day of action on Monday (11 March) at the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships B-Pool in Nagano, defeating Poland by a score of 11-0.

Kazuhiro Takahashi scored five of Japan’s 11 goals, opening up the scoring just 40 seconds into the first period off an assist from Satoru Sudo.

Sudo netted two goals of his own during the game to go along with a pair of assists, while Masaharu Kumagai found the net twice during the game and Tomohiko Maruo and Mamoru Yoshikawa each scored once.

Japan outshot Poland 57-4, with Shinobu Fukushima playing all 45 minutes in the net for the Japanese and never allowing the puck to slide past him.

In the first game of the day, Germany defeated Estonia 7-2, as Frank Rennhack and Udo Segreff notched two goals apiece for the winning side.

Robert Past actually started the scoring surge for the Germans, netting the puck just 55 seconds into the contest unassisted, and then Rennhack scored soon after to put Germany up 2-0 heading into the second period.

Segreff scored twice in the second period, and then goals by Matthias Albanus and Torsten Ellmer had Germany up 6-0 heading into the final period.

Estonia’s Tarmo Eerma and Kaido Kalmo both found the net early in the third, but it was too late, and Rennhack went on to cap off Germany’s victory with another score.

Germany’s Simon Kunst recorded 14 saves in the net, while Estonia’s Urmo Voogla saved the puck 18 times.

Next up, Germany will face Slovakia at 14:00 local time on Tuesday (12 March), with Japan set to play Great Britain at 17:30.

Estonia and Poland will both have the day off.

To stay up to date on the Championships throughout the week, please visit www.icesledgehockeyworldspoolb.org. You can also follow the action on Twitter at @IPCISH and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IceSledgeHockey.