Feb 10 (Reuters) - Japan goaltender Rei Halloran was surprised to make her Olympic women's ice hockey debut on Tuesday, and although her side exited the tournament after falling to Sweden, the 24-year-old goes home without conceding a goal.
Halloran was the only Japan player who did not take any part in the opening three Group B games, but found out after Monday's defeat to Italy that she would be on the bench for the final group match with Sweden.
"It was a bit of a surprise for me after not dressing for the first three games," Halloran told reporters.
"So I expected my first Olympics to kind of end like that, but I'm truly just so grateful for the opportunity."
Sweden were 4-0 up in the final period, and with less than 14 minutes remaining and Japan heading out of the tournament, Halloran was given her chance.
"I was pretty nervous," Halloran said.
"You know, I went in cold, so it's a bit of a tough start in that sense for me. But, it was an amazing and unbelievable experience."
There was no further scoring in the game, so Halloran could end up as the only goaltender who did not allow a goal at Milano Cortina.
"I didn't expect to play at all or even get on the bench," she said.
"So in that sense, it's really exceeded my expectations. But I think I have a lot to build on and a lot to work on, hopefully, from next year's World Championships to maybe the next Olympics."
Halloran also wanted to thank the many Japanese fans who turned out to cheer them on throughout their four games in Milan.
"I'm super grateful, and I'm so proud that everyone came to support us," Halloran said, looking emotional.
"It really means a lot, especially because I think in Italy maybe there's not the biggest fan base for Japan. So seeing all these fans come out and watch us, it's amazing."
(Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Bill Berkrot)
