By Yoo Jee-ho
GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) -- Though it was only put together days before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the joint Korean women's hockey team has been performing better than expected, its captain said Wednesday.
South Korean winger Park Jong-ah has retained her captaincy after her team of 23 players was joined by 12 North Koreans on Jan. 25. Like a lot of her teammates, Park said she was concerned about whether players from the two Koreas could come together in time for the PyeongChang Games, with the opening game scheduled for Saturday against Switzerland.
Park's verdict Wednesday: so far, so good.
In this Joint Press Corps photo, Park Jong-ah, captain of the joint Korean women's hockey team, celebrates her goal against Sweden in an exhibition game at Seonhak International Ice Rink in Incheon on Feb. 4, 2018. (Yonhap)
"I think the North Korean players have learned our systems better than we'd expected them to," Park said after practice at Kwandong Hockey Centre in Gangneung, the venue for all of Korea's group stage games.
"I'd be lying if I told you our team is at 100 percent," Park added. "But I think we're over 70 percent now. I'd thought we'd be around 50 percent by now, but the team has been better than I'd expected.
"Those North Korean players have put in the efforts," Park continued. "And I think we're seeing fruits of their hard work."
Out of 35 players, only 22 -- 20 skaters and two goalies -- can play in a game during the Olympics. Even though 13 players will be left out during the Olympics, that hasn't kept the players from developing friendships with one another.
"When the North Korean players first came here, we didn't know how to approach them," Park said. "But we've become really close. We talk about many different things now."
Off-ice camaraderie is nice, but the time to perform on the ice is coming soon. Korea will take on sixth-ranked Switzerland in its first Group B contest Saturday, a day after the opening ceremony.
"We're only three days from our first game in the Olympics, and with only one practice left, I am getting nervous," said Park, one of South Korea's most lethal offensive weapons. "I hope people will be behind our team, and we'll go out there and play hard for them."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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