Ice hockey: Steelers men star in weekend of double wins for GB

The Great Britain national team got their IIHF World Championship Division I Group A promotion bid off to a promising start when they beat Korea 4-0 in Saturday’s opening game at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.

On Sunday, they were leading Poland 3-1, but were pegged back, finally winning 5-4 in an exciting 65 minutes of ice hockey.

GB, needing only to finish in the top two in this six-team second-tier group to gain promotion back to the top table, look in good shape.

It is a roster packed with both youth and experience.

Kirk, aged 23, and the younger end of the roster, had made a significant impact in Saturday’s win.

Maltby’s former Sheffield Steeler scored 1+1, his goal coming after he cut inside from the right flank and fired over the goalie’s shoulder during a four-on-four goal spell.

In all, Kirk had seven shots and was on the ice 19:32 minutes.

Waller also 23, bagged 0+2 and Cade Nielson, who is just 21, scored 1+0.

“It is nice to see younger players coming in and producing,” said Kirk, adding the younger players were proving they were not there to just make numbers up.

“Josh has been exceptional, the difference from last tournament to this tournament is unbelievable, he is so good on the puck, same as Cade he led the team last year and he is doing his role again.”

Steelers’ defenceman Sam Jones, 25, was +2 in the plus-minus stakes on the night.

Veteran Ben Bowns, 32, stopped 17 shots in his shut out, Ben Lake and Steeler Robert Dowd going on the scoresheet along with Kirk and Neilson.

Poland, who had started the tournament even better than GB had with a resounding 7-0 thumping of Lithuania, might not have considered GB captain Jonathan Phillips, soon to retire, to have been a scoring threat.

But the 1,000+ Steeler drove down the middle to flick home for 1-0 after great work from linemate Robert Lachowicz.

Poland, a clear danger for GB in this tournament drew level through Dominik Pas.

The young guns struck again.

Kirk won a battle on the boards and Neilson whacked home a go-ahead goal.

Neilson then turned provider, as Kirk beat American-born Poland dual national John Murray, for 3-1.

It looked all very positive for the hockey Lions.

The final period had a dramatic start, though.

Ex-Sheffielder Ben O’Connor took a hooking minor and Pawel Zygmunt helped himself to a Bowns’ rebound to narrow the Brits’ lead.

The momentum had changed and with five minutes left Kamil Walega equalised with another rebound.

With 90 seconds on the clock, Steeler Evan Mosey and Mike Hammond crafted what seemed like the winner for Brett Perlini.

Yet it wasn’t to be – it was 4-4 at 59:12 when Bartosz Fraszko put another beyond Bowns, dragging the game into 3v3 overtime.

Ben Lake finally settled the matter for GB, with Kirk and Nathanael Halbert assisting at 62:35

Huge relief all around – and GB are looking good for promotion.

*Remaining programme: Tuesday: GB v Lithuania 19:30, Wednesday: GB v Romania 19:30, Friday 5: Italy v GB – 19:30