Hungary remains perfect to move up to the top of the standings after the second day of action of the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I Group A tournament in Klagenfurt, Austria.

In the other two games, Norway edges France in a shootout thriller and remains undefeated, while Austria earns its first victory by blanking Korea.

The tournament will resume on Wednesday with Hungary facing Norway, Korea squaring off against the Netherlands, and France taking on host team Austria.

Hungary 2 - Netherlands 0

  

Zsofia Pazmandi and Reka Dabasi tallied as Hungary rolled on their second straight win in Klagenfurt.
In their second consecutive 2-0 victory, Pat Cortina´s coached Hungary has yet to concede a goal after six periods of play in WW1A. Against the Dutch on day two, netminder Aniko Nemeth once again stood firm to record another shutout blocking all 22 shots.

The Netherlands came within a whisker from sealing promotion to the Women´s Worlds last year. Now Marco Kronenburg´s team is still seeking its first point following a second straight loss at the Heidi Horten Arena.
When their second power-play of the first frame wasn´t clicking for Hungary, Pazmandi took matters into her own hands. She picked up the puck from the corner, worked herself towards the Dutch net and unleashed a wrister flying past Dutch netminder Eline Gabriele to take a 1-0 lead at 12:22.

Early in the second period, Savine Wielenge had struck an effort off Nemeth´s left post, but Hungarian fighting spirit prevailed as they doubled their lead in the final minute of the second period. Gabriele in the Dutch net had first denied both Franciska Kiss-Simon and Alexandra Huszak during a goalmouth scramble before Dabasi forced the puck over the line at 39:10.

Having first overcome a couple of penalty kills in the third period, the Netherlands then got two late attempts on the powerplay. Gabriele was lifted for the extra skater with 34 seconds to go but Hungary held out to continue their winning ways.

France 3 - Norway 4 SO

Andrea Dalen scored the deciding goal in a marathon shootout lasting ten rounds as Norway stuns France.
In a game of two halves, Norway had stormed ahead to grab a three-goal lead in the first period. Karoline Pedersen, Ingrid Morset and Millie Rose Sirum converted for Norway.

France replied with three power-play goals from Clara Rozier, Chloe Aurard and Gabrielle de Serres.
What a difference a year makes for Norway. In last year´s tournament in China´s Shenzhen, the Scandinavians lost their first couple of games. One year on, they are undefeated in Klagenfurt after two rounds.

From a position behind France´s net, debutant Iben Tillman picked out Karolina Pedersen who reacted quickest in the slot ahead of France´s Anae Simon to open the scoring after 5:35.

In a spirited Norwegian start, they doubled their lead midway through the opening period. High Norwegian forechecking in France´s defensive end paid dividends in a move finished by Morset converting with a looping effort from the point.

The Scandinavians added a third with 2:41 left to play before the first intermission when Sirum latched on to an Emma Bergesen feed ahead of Sophie Leclerc to deflect it past Margaux Mameri. 

Going into the middle frame Justine Crousy Theode replaced Mameri in France´s net for her World Championship debut. In a penalty-laden middle frame, France got back into the game converting on two consecutive powerplays.

Marthe Brunvold was sitting out a two-minute minor when Rozier tipped Estelle Duvin´s shot from the point past Ena Nystrom at 36:50.

From the ensuing face-off, the red-hot Rozier immediately threatened Norway´s net once again leading to Emilie Kruse taking an interference minor. On the powerplay, Nystrom had saved the initial point shot by de Serres when Rozier cleverly backhanded the rebound to Aurard who roofed it into the net to cut the deficit to one goal at 38:22.

Blueliner de Serres then netted her game-tying goal with a wrister 2:51 left of the third period to take the game first to overtime before the teams were separated after penalty shots. 

Austria 6 - Korea 0

Leading by example, team captain Anna Meixner netted a hat-trick when the hosts found goals easy to come by during day two.

PWHL Boston´s Theresa Schafzahl also was on song for the Austrians notching three assists while Magdalena Luggin blocked all 17 shots faced to record a shutout.

Just like in their opening game, Austria went ahead through Annika Fazokas in the first period. Anja Trummer carried the puck into the Korean zone, turned, and picked out a determined Fazokas bursting through from centre ice to finish high on the catcher side of Korea´s netminder Jongju Park at 16:51.

With 1:28 left of the first period Meixner doubled the lead firing home a wrister from the slot as Schafzahl screened Park.

Austria stamped their authority in a goalless middle stanza but was rewarded fourfold as Korea´s rearguard wavered in the final period.

Just 27 seconds into it, Meixner added a second sneaking towards the Korean net before ripping a high-shot past Park on a pin-point pass from the point by Schafzahl.

With the Austrians firmly in control, they added another three quick-fire goals in less than two minutes right at the end. Lena Daubock´s backhanded effort first hit the post before bouncing off the unfortunate Kim´s back into the net. 

Tamara Grascher then one-timed a low shot from the slot before Meixner completed her hat-trick and added gloss to the victory by netting a close-range rebound.