By Emily Laycock
Great Britain ended their campaign at the under-20s Watersley International Ice Hockey tournament with a 5-1 victory over the Netherlands at the Glanerbrook Ice Arena.
A slow start to the game saw the score level after the first period despite chances for both sides to break the deadlock.
Britain killed five penalties during the opening 20 minutes, but applied the pressure when at equal strength with Connor Lee and Kyle Carruth both going close.
GB only needed two minutes of the second period to open the scoring. Strong offensive pressure from Martin Grubb’s side was rewarded when Seb Mohr battled for, and won, possession of the puck behind the net. Joe Lynch was quick to react, slotting the puck into the crease to the waiting Torran Anderson who fired into the roof of the net (22:30).
The lead was shortly after extended to two when Brynley Capps won the puck in the defensive zone and set Sam Lyne on his way. The forward darted into the offensive alone, dealing with the pressure from the Netherlands’ defence well before slotting the puck past the keeper on his right (26:18).
Dominance of the second period continued for GB with further close chances falling to Anderson and Lynch, but with five minutes of the period to play, Gys Vollmann pulled one back for the Netherlands with a shot from distance sneaking through traffic and past Alfie Blakely.
The quick start to the second period was replicated in the third as Lee reinstated his side’s two-goal lead (41:05). Billy Thorpe played the puck from behind the GB net to Lee who burst forwards with an impressive skate down the right-hand side, weaving through the Netherlands defence before firing his shot off the post and in.
Finn Bradon got himself back on the scoresheet with Great Britain’s fourth goal (52:28). After a period of strong offensive pressure in the Netherlands crease, Lyne chased the puck into the corner before pulling it back to Bradon who was skating in from the blueline with the latter unleashing a shot towards goal through traffic.
Lee tried his luck with three minutes left to play – his effort forcing the netminder to make a pad block that rebounded the puck into the path of Connor McNulty who collected and flicked the puck into the net to make it five.
GB finished the Watersley International Ice Hockey Tournament in second place with two wins and a defeat, three points behind Kölner Haie in first.
