The Riveters defeated Smile Japan 3-1 in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
After landing in Japan at midnight of December 15, eastern time, the New York Riveters had just 28 hours to adjust and prepare for their first game against Smile Japan, the Japanese National hockey team. It was to be the first of three exhibition games between the teams.
Nana Fujimoto, who won Best Goalkeeper playing with Japan at the 2015 IIHF World Women's Championship, got the start in net for her old team, while Jenny Scrivens got the nod for the Riveters. Japan opened the game with a very strong forecheck, commanding most of the chances, and it paid off 13:02 into the period, as they took a 1-0 lead.