GB hoping to pull off the Italian Job

It is a big day for Great Britain as they face-off in their third match of the Division 1A World Championships; against tough opposition.

Italy is the team in the way today and GB will be hoping to turn their fortunes around against the 16th seed country.
Italy has been in good form so far in the tournament and has been the early leaders, alongside Kazakhstan, having won their opening two games.

It is a case of missed opportunities for GB however as they lost 4-2 to Hungary on the opening night and were blanked 5-0 by Kazakhstan a day later. However the results do not reflect the performance on the ice, with GB holding their own against two countries that are ranked well above them in the IIHF World Ranking order; but with the round robin style tournaments such as these the world rankings count for nothing and it goes down to how you play on the day.

Italy have comfortably beaten Korea (4-0) and Japan (4-1) so far in the tournament but GB will be hoping to put up a better fight in this afternoon’s game.

Belfast Giants’ netminder Stephen Murphy told the Ice Hockey UK website; “We are used to the pressure, we are used to the tough games, so we are well prepared for this. We need to keep our energy levels up and we have a lot of positives to take forward.

“Italy are a good team, they are an A pool team and tough opposition for sure. Our aim is to get something from the game and take it forward into our last two games.”

Penalty trouble was something that blighted GB during the final Olympic qualification round in Latvia earlier this year and was something that Assistant Coach Doug Christiansen hoped they could improve on in this tournament.

In Latvia GB was the highest ranked country in terms of penalties taken having registered 54PIM over the three games. So far in this tournament, improvements have been made, and GB are ranked 5th overall with 22PIM from their first two games.

Further improvements have also been seen in terms of scoring opportunities however luck has not bounced our way with those chances being converted into actual goals.

Both teams will feel a little refreshed having had a day off yesterday and GB will go into the game in high spirits and full of confidence. An early goal would give them a great boost which could lead them to victory; however they must not let their heads drop should Italy take the lead.

GB’s game will once again be shown live on Premier Sports (Sky channel 428) with the face-off at 3pm.

Backroom calling for GB legend

All-time Great British legend David Longstaff will be joining the back room staff for the upcoming Division 1A World Championship tournament in Hungary later this week.

Longstaff, a veteran with 101 caps at international level, retired from playing duty earlier this year after nearly 20 years in the GB set-up. He made his first appearance for GB in 1994 and has been a vital addition in major tournaments and world championships since.

He is coming off the back of a league and cup double for the Guildford Flames in the English Premier League and his experience and eye for talent will be greatly used during the tournament.

Longstaff commented to the IHUK website; “I am very proud and honoured to be asked to join the GB staff by Tony Hand. I loved playing for the national side and now to back with GB again is fantastic.”

“We have a great group of guys here and I am looking forward to being involved.”

Head Coach Tony Hand added: “Lobby had a fantastic playing career for GB and he is a terrific addition to our staff.

“He has always been a popular player in the dressing room and his 101 caps at international level prove he has the experience.

“We will use that experience and he will scout other teams at the tournament – something which is very important when you play five games in such a short space of time.”

It is a smart move by Hand and the GB organisation to include Longstaff within the team; in a support capacity. Whilst he will not be lacing up the skates, his eye for the game and ability to read plays will prove vital as GB lock horns with the likes of Italy, South Korea, Kazakhstan and the hosts Hungary during the round robin tournament.

GB Preliminary Squad announced for Hungary challenge

Preliminary squad named ahead of Hungary World Championships. (photo by Diane Davey)

Great Britain Head Coach Tony Hand has named his 41 man preliminary squad ahead of the Division 1A World Championships in Budapest next month.

GB will be aiming for a promotion to the World’s top flight division as they take on hosts Hungary; as well as Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan and South Korea in the championship between 14 April and 20 April.

Hand will select a final 22 man roster before departure for the tournament next month following the conclusion of both the EIHL and EPL Play-off final weekends.

The GB rosters, even the preliminary named squads, have been dominated by Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) representatives. However in recent times English Premier League (EPL) players have been included for selection. This could have something to do with Hand being the Manchester Phoenix player/coach; and being in a better position to analyse opposing players and assess their qualities for the GB team.

There is a notable exclusion to the initial selection of Sheffield Steelers’ defenceman Rob Sarich, the only dual-national player in Riga, Latvia earlier this year. As such there are no dual-national players included in the preliminary squad for Hungary. Sheffield and Belfast are the most represented teams from the EIHL with 6 players each, whilst the recently EIHL Champions Nottingham have 5 players present. Basingstoke Bison are the most represented team from the EPL with 3 players.

Coach Hand said: “There are a lot of new faces in this preliminary squad and it obviously gives me plenty of options. This is reward for the guys who have had a great season with their clubs.

“We have terrific talent in the UK, not just in the Elite League but in the EPL as well, and that shows in the strength of the squad. The final 22 will be a tough call, but I am lucky to be in this position with great talent at my disposal.”

The Pre-Olympic qualifying tournament held in Latvia in February showed that the GB team has made progress, however it also showed that the team has a number of weaknesses which will need to be addressed for Hungary. Despite having faced four of the teams in the past year or so, with Italy the only team GB hasn’t faced recently, the tournament will present new challenges for Hand and his men.

Although we cannot predict what will happen between now and April 14, with a number of games left to play in both the EIHL and EPL, injuries or other circumstances could see a very different and fresh squad fly out to Europe.

Although promotion to the top flight division is up for grabs for the winners, realistically GB will be competing for 3rd, 4th or 5th positions and therefore it would be an ideal opportunity to take some of the youth that is starting to develop, with a mixture of experienced players, and see how the team gets on. Success at international level for GB is a marathon and not a sprint, therefore if we miss out on the chance for promotion this time around; it is not to be seen as a setback but rather foundation building for the future years to come.

Schedule of Games:

14/04/13 – Hungary v GB (19:30)

15/04/13 – Kazakhstan v GB (16:00)

17/04/13 – Italy v GB (16:00)

19/04/13 – Japan v GB (16:00)

20/04/13 – GB v South Korea (12:30)

 

GB PRELIMINARY SQUAD

Netminders

 Ben Bowns (Hull Stingrays)

Stephen Murphy (Belfast Giants)

Geoff Woolhouse (Sheffield Steelers)

Stevie Lyle (Basingstoke Bison)

 

Defenceman 

Luke Boothroyd (Manchester Phoenix)

Danny Meyers (Sheffield Steelers)

Jonathan Weaver (Nottingham Panthers)

Adam Carr (MK Lightning)

Phil Hill (Cardiff Devils)

Kevin Phillips (Braehead Clan)

James Griffin (Coventry Blaze)

Stevie Lee (Nottingham Panthers)

Ben Morgan (Sheffield Steeldogs)

David Phillips (Belfast Giants)

Mark Richardson (Cardiff Devils)

Mark Thomas (Sheffield Steelers)

 

Forwards 

Greg Wood (Sheffield Steeldogs)

Ashley Tait (Sheffield Steelers)

Joe Greener (Basingstoke Bison)

Ben Campbell (Guilford Flames)

Matthew Towe (Belfast Giants)

Matthew Myers (Nottingham Panthers)

Aaron Nell (Swindon Wildcats)

Ben O’Connor (Arlan Kokshetau)

Greg Owen (Basingstoke Bison)

Colin Shields (Belfast Giants)

David Clarke (Nottingham Panthers)

Leigh Jamieson (MK Lightning)

Robert Lachowicz (Nottingham Panthers)

Russ Cowley (Coventry Blaze)

Ben Davies (Cardiff Devils)

Matthew Davies (Hull Stingrays)

Robert Dowd (Troja-Ljungby)

Tom Duggan (Manchester Phoenix)

Robert Farmer (Braehead Clan)

Mark Garside (Belfast Giants)

Matthew Haywood (Braehead Clan)

Jason Hewitt (Sheffield Steelers)

Craig Peacock (Belfast Giants)

Jonathan Phillips (Sheffield Steelers)

Shaun Thompson (Bracknell Bees)