Great Britain relegated from the top level of ice hockey’s World Championship

Great Britain’s three-year keep at the highest level of ice hockey’s World Championships got here to a heart-breaking finish on Monday evening with a 5-3 defeat by Austria in what was successfully a relegation decider.

Britain appeared like they’d once more upset the odds and stay amongst the greatest ice hockey nations in the world after they twice led by two targets towards an Austrian group who had taken factors off each the United States and Czech Republic on this 12 months’s event.

But GB had been made to pay for losing 4 golden alternatives at 2-0 up when the higher expertise of Austria instructed in the closing interval to finish Pete Russell’s facet’s fairy-tale run at the highest level.

 Great Britain have been relegated from the top tier of ice hockey’s World Championships

When the mud settles GB shall be proud of their efforts in Kosice in 2019, Riga final 12 months and now in Tampere, Finland and with the progress they made earlier than lastly operating out of steam with the profitable submit once more in sight.

And GB, who had been hit by accidents this 12 months and had been lacking their greatest participant all through the event in Liam Kirk, unearthed a brand new star in 21-year-old Cade Neilson, who was their participant of the match final evening with a objective and two assists.

Britain appeared like they’d be celebrating once more when Nottingham’s Matthew Myers put them forward on the energy play after which Sheffield’s Robert Dowd added a second early in the second interval.

It was then that Myers, Scott Conway, Evan Mosey and Ben Lake all had gilt-edged possibilities to place the recreation out of Austria’s attain however they had been all denied by the excellent Austrian goalminder.

But, with Josh Batch serving GB’s first penalty of the match, Ali Wukovits gave Austria a lifeline when he discovered a well past Ben Bowns in the British objective.

Britain had been left to rue losing 4 golden alternatives at 2-0 up towards Austria

Neilson, son of GB assistant coach Corey, once more appeared to have sparked a British social gathering with a well-taken third and appears to have an enormous future in the recreation.

But Dominic Heinrich narrowed the deficit with a well-struck objective after which, agonisingly for GB, Austria equalised with a marker that deflected in off GB’s Josh Batch.

Britain needed to win in regulation time to remain up and gambled on all-out assault leaving gaps at the again for Austria to take advantage of with a winner after which an empty internet objective.

‘We’ve been on the different finish of this and we all know the way it feels,’ mentioned GB captain Jonathan Phillips, who was making a record-breaking 111th look for his nation.

‘But to twice be two goals up and lose means we are pretty gutted right now. The experience we’ve gained is large and this level is so exhausting to get into so it will sting all summer season. I’m misplaced for phrases however we are going to battle exhausting to get again in.’