2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey: Top standouts from France vs. Japan
The first game of the doubleheader on Friday saw an exciting battle between two Group B teams desperate to get their first win at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Despite a valiant effort from the upstarts from France, Japan got a couple of key goals late in regulation to grab a 3-2 victory.
Japan sought to lay down the law against a French team that was beaten decisively by the host Italians on Thursday. They played the body and peppered Alice Philbert. However, Les Bleus began to find their footing and created some opportunities of their own.
There wasn’t any scoring until the late stages of the second period, when Rui Ukita struck first for Japan. However, the lead didn’t last into the break, as Lore Baudrit was the beneficiary of a great play by Manon le Scodan to tie the game at one with just 17 seconds to go in the frame.
The third period was tense. Both Philbert and Japanese netminder Miyuu Masuhara had to come up with some big saves, and it looked like we might be heading to overtime. Japan was sure to change that narrative, as a slick shot from Makoto Ito snuck by Philbert with a little over three minutes to go to give Japan the lead once again.
It looked like the game was on ice after an empty-netter from Suzuka Maeda, but France wouldn’t go down without a fight. Gabrielle de Serres’ second goal of the tournament with 12 seconds to go made things interesting, but Japan hung on for a crucial win.
Japan outshot the French 38-25. France was 1-for-1 on the power play, while Japan failed to capitalize on its lone opportunity on the player advantage.
The loss is a damaging one. With an 0-0-2 record, they’re effectively eliminated from quarterfinal contention, barring massive upsets for Germany and Sweden. Les Bleus is next in action on Sunday against Sweden. Japan (1-0-0) has a quick turnaround, facing the Germans on Saturday.
Japan
Rui Ukita, F
Ukita is just a fun player to watch in these international tournaments. Never shying away from shooting the puck, the 29-year-old seems to always have her nose to the offense. That was clear against France, as he put three shots on goal, including the first tally of the contest, and probably could’ve scored a couple more had Philbert not been in the way. Uktia was also second among forwards in ice time (20:57) in the victory.
Akane Shiga, F
I’m putting this out there now, with the PWHL expanding again next season, Shiga will have a spot on a roster in North America. Her speed and creativity make her a dynamic player whenever she represents her country. I can only imagine how things would shape up when she plays with the best in the world. The former Ottawa Charge forward posted an assist on Ukita’s goal, but had three or four dandy scoring chances, but kept getting robbed by Philbert.
France
Alice Philbert, G
Speak of the devil…I know I gave her props for her effort in a rough game on Thursday, but Philbert was the main reason France had a shot at beating Japan on Friday. The 29-year-old came up with so many big stops throughout the game, including some grade-A opportunities in the final stanza to keep the game tied. With a 35-save outing, she was unquestionably France’s best player once again.
Manon le Scodan, F
I know it was Baudrit who scored for France, but le Scodan was all over the place. The Clarkson University forward created a number of scoring chances for her team with some slick hands and quickness. After France cut the deficit to one in the dying seconds of the game, le Scodan almost willed the puck toward from the face-off to tie the game. It might be tough for France to score for the rest of the tournament, but it’s a good sight to see a young offensive weapon developing, leading to the Winter Games in 2030.