ZAGREB, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China secured a spot of Division 1 after beating hosts Croatia 5-1 here on Friday to top the Division 2 Group A one round early during the 2022 Ice Hockey Men's World Championship.

Before the game, China showed a high competitiveness, sweeping the Netherlands and Israel, while Croatia, also having good momentum, grabbed two consecutive wins, too.

After a goalless first period, China's Shen Jialei broke the deadlock with a shot in the fifth minute into the second period. Four minutes later, Jian An gave a middle range shot before forward Fu Shuai scored twice to put China ahead 4-0.

Four minutes into the third period, defender Jieke Kailiaosi stretched the lead to 5-0 before Croatia's Bruno Ficur pulled a goal back.

As the sole team with three victories from as many games, China claimed the Division 2 Group A title before its last game against Spain on Saturday and made sure of returning to Division 1 after a 15-year absence. Enditem

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