Slovakia maintain 100 per cent start at IIHF Division I Group B event

Slovakia maintained their 100 per cent record with a comfortable win over North Korea ©Getty Images

Slovakia maintained their 100 per cent record at the women’s International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Division I Group B event as they thrashed North Korea 9-0 in Beijing.

The Slovaks are bidding for a return to the second tier of international women’s ice hockey and they proved too strong for a North Korean side who could not quite live with their attacking prowess.

Slovakia managed to find the net twice in the opening period before they blew the North Koreans away in the second stanza as they established a 7-0 lead.

They then added another two goals in the last period, which sealed a winning margin that their performance clearly merited.

The result was the third straight victory for a Slovakian side who are eager to recover from the disappointment of relegation from Group A last year.

Elsewhere, The Netherlands, who suffered a slender 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Slovaks yesterday, bounced back with a 2-0 success over Italy to move up to third in the table.

Hosts China are in hot pursuit of the Slovakians as their 7-3 win over Hungary sent them to second in the group ©Getty Images

It also proved to be a good day for hosts China as they claimed a comfortable 7-3 win against Hungary in the evening match to ensure they remain hot on the heels of the Slovakians.

The team who finishes top of Group B at the end of the event, which is due to conclude on Sunday (April 12), will be promoted into Group A, just one level below the coveted IIHF World Championships.

In the men’s IIHF World Championship Division III event in Irzmir, Turkey, the host nation appear to be in rampant form after they made it five wins out of five with a 7-5 victory over Luxembourg in what was a thrilling contest.

Fresh from a 10-1 thrashing of Hong Kong the previous day, Turkey ensured they kept their momentum going and they currently top the group ahead of North Korea on goal difference.

The United Arab Emirates also picked up a victory as they secured the first win of the competition so far by beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-2.

In the evening match, North Korea swept past Hong Kong with a thumping 9-0 win to ensure they kept the pressure on hosts Turkey.

The two sides, who both have perfect records so far, are due to meet in the last game of the event on Sunday, which is set to decide who earns promotion to Division II Group B.