Showa University Blue Winds. Source.
It's the 44th All Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship. The teams are:
Group A Showa University Blue Winds, Kushiro Bears, Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz, Seibu Princess Rabbits, Toyota Cygnus, Hokkaido Barbarians HC Infinity, Road Construction Peregrine, Daishin;
Group B Tokachi Obihiro Ladies, Vortex Sapporo, Chunichi Ladies, Nishinomiya Ladies, Tweedia Crest, Hachinohe Club, Saitama Ice Hockey Girls, Nikko Ice Bucks Ladies;
Group C Crystal Blaze, Hiroshima Collectors, Kashiwara Carlets (Women), Makomanai Ladies, Fukuoka Silkies, Karuizawa Fairies, Nippon Sports Science University, Ladies Rabbits.
How does this tournament work?
The objective is to find a national champion, but also to rank the participating teams, as they don't all play in the same league.
Three tournaments are played simultaneously: A, for the top eight teams; B, for teams 9 to 16; and C, for teams 17 to 24. Tournaments A and B consist of 16 games each; tournament C has 12.
The eight teams in tournament A consist of the top seven from last year's A tournament plus the winner of last year's B tournament. The pairings on day one are based on last year's rankings, so 1st against B tournament's 1st, 2nd against 7th, 3rd against 6th, and 4th against 5th. These are games 1 to 4.
On day two the four winners pair off, highest against lowest according to last year's ranking, and the four losers pair off, highest against lowest according to last year's ranking. These are games 5 to 8.
On day three the teams divide off into two groups, A1 and A2. A1 consists of the teams from games 5 and 7; A2 consists of the teams from games 6 and 8. First in A1 plays second in A2; first in A2 plays second in A1; third in A1 plays fourth in A2; and third in A2 plays fourth in A1. These are games 9 to 12.
By day four the teams are ready to be ranked. Game 13 decides 7th and 8th place, game 14 decides 5th and 6th place; game 15 decides 3rd and 4th place; and game 16 decides 1st and 2nd. The first-place team in the new ranking is national champion.
If the only objective were to find a champion, then the whole thing could be over in seven games: 4 quarter-finals, 2 semi-finals and a final. Twelve games are all that are really needed to rank the teams, and that's what they play in tournament C. The day three games are just to allow teams an extra chance, it seems.
Group A:
March 13
Match No. 1: Seibu Princess Rabbits [5 - 2] Showa University Blue Winds
Match No. 2: Mikage Gretz [0 - 6] Toyota Cygnus
Match No. 3: Daishin [10 - 0] Infinity
Match No. 4: Kushiro Bears [0 - 5] Road Construction Peregrine
March 14
Match No. 5: [Blue Winds 4 - 2 Mikage Gretz]
Match No. 6: [Infinity 5 - 3 Kushiro Bears]
Match No. 7: [Seibu Princess Rabbits 2 - 3 Toyota Cygnus]
Match No. 8: [Daishin 3 - 4 Peregrine]
March 15
Match No. 9: [Blue Winds 1 - 2 Kushiro Bears]
Match No. 10: [Mikage Gretz 5 - 3 Infinity]
Match No. 11: [Cygnus 1 - 2 Daishin]
Match No. 12: [Seibu Princess Rabbits 2 - 3 Peregrine]
March 16
Match No. 13: [Blue Winds 3 - 0 Infinity]
Match No. 14: [Kushiro Bears 2 - 5 Mikage Gretz]
Match No. 15: [Cygnus 3 - 2 Seibu Princess Rabbits]
Match No. 16: [Daishin 3 - 1 Peregrine]
Vortex Sapporo win Group B and Kazuizawa Fairies win Group C.
Previous Plenty of Nothing coverage of the All Japan Women's Hockey Championship:
43rd (2024), won by Seibu Princess Rabbits.
42nd (2023), won by Road Construction Peregrine.
41st (2022), cancelled.
40th (2021), won by Road Construction Peregrine.
39th (2020), cancelled.
38th (2019), won by Road Construction Peregrine.
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