A day after securing its fourth straight Olympic berth, Japan put the finishing touches on a final qualifying tournament with a 4-1 win over China to finish undefeated.

The Japanese improved to nine points to finish first in the IIHF Group G Women’s Ice Hockey Final Olympic Qualification Tournament.

The team known as “Smile Japan” wrapped up a place in the 10-nation Women’s Olympic Ice hockey tournament in Milan on Saturday with a 6-0 win over Poland.

China beat Japan 3-2 at the Women’s Ice hockey World Championships last year so Yuji Iizuka’s team was out for a measure of revenge in Sunday’s final game of the tournament.

“I just told my players to approach today’s game as they did the previous two,” Iizuka said. “The players stayed focused and played with a lot of pride.”

Japan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Yumeka Wajima and Rui Ukita.

Wajima opened the scoring at 3:26 of the first period on a delayed penalty when Japan took advantage of an extra attacker.

Wajima took a pass from Suzuka Maeda and beat China’s goalie Zhan Jiahui low on the stick side with a wrister from close range.

Ukita doubled the advantage three minutes later when Makoto Ito won a face-off and got the puck back to Ukita who fired it in from the top of the face-off circle.

Yu Baiwei cut the deficit to 2-1 on a power play early in the second period when her shot from the just inside the blue line deflected in off a player in front of the net.

It was only the second goal given up by Japan in the tournament.

Akane Shiga gave Japan a two-goal cushion in the final minute of the second period with a wrist shot over the blocker of Zhan. Akane Hosoyamada added a late goal in the third period to complete the scoring.

Japan scored a total of 17 goals over the three games of tournament.

“We talked about the importance of increasing our offensive output before the tournament,” Iizuka said. “A lot of players who weren’t with us at the previous Olympics contributed goals this time and that’s a very positive development for us.”

Japan is seventh in the IIHF rankings. The Women’s Olympic Ice hockey tournament in Milan will feature ten teams. Eight have already qualified including host Italy and Russia.

But Russia’s spot is dependant on an IOC ruling as to whether it can return to international competition. If Russia is ruled out of the 2026 Olympic Games, the second place team from Group G _ France _ could possibly qualify.

FRANCE FINISHES SECOND

Clara Rozier scored a hat trick and added four assists as France romped to a 9-0 win over Poland to finish second in the group.

Margot Hout-Marchand scored for France two minutes in when she picked up her own rebound and swept it in from the side of the net.

Just over three minutes later, Rozier scored her first of three goals in the period when she took a stretch pass from Chloe Aurard  and beat Poland goaltender Martyna Sass on a wrister from the high slot.

Rozier’s second goal came on the power play midway through the opening frame.

With Natalia Nosal in the box for hooking, Rozier beat Sass on a wrist shot to the top corner on the stick side and the rout was on.

Lore Baudrit and Estelle Duvin widened the lead to 5-0 before Rozier completed her hat trick when she broke in on a breakaway and beat Sass high on the stick side with just over a minute remaining in the period.

Aurard, who plays for the New York Sirens in the Professional Women’s Hockey League made it 7-0 early in the second period and added another in the third to complete the scoring after Duvin made it 8-0 with her second goal.

France finished second in the group with six points after two wins and a loss.