Five Devils Selected – And Josh Batch Stays With GB

Cardiff Devils have five players in Great Britain’s 25-man squad for the World Championships in Slovakia next month.

Ben Bowns, Thomas Murdy, Mark Richardson, Evan Mosey and Matthew Myers have all been selected, while a sixth Devil, Josh Batch, is staying with the group as injury cover this week.

Newport-born former Devils player Joe Lewis is among three players given their first World Championship call-ups, along with Tim Billingsley and Ben Lake.

Welshman Lewis now plays for ESV Kaufbeuren in Germany. 

Cardiff-born GB captain Jonathan Phillips is also in the squad along with fellow Welshman Ben Davies.

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There are 21 from the squad who won promotion from Division One Group A in Hungary last year included.

Mosey returns after missing last year’s tournament because of injury. 

Head coach Peter Russell made his decisions after two warm-up matches, against Italy and Hungary.

The squad will report back for training camp in Coventry on Tuesday and start preparations for back-to-back matches against KHL side Torpedo in Nottingham and Sheffield at the weekend.

GB will play in their first top-flight World Championship since 1994 when they face Germany, Canada, Denmark, USA, Finland, Slovakia and France from May 11 to May 20 in Kosice.

“The guys who missed out are completely disappointed and so would I be,” said head coach Russell. “The whole group at the camp have given everything to each other every day and created healthy competition.

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“This effort and attitude has only made our compete group stronger. They may not be in the 25, but they are a part of our group.

“A couple of the guys were unfortunate to be hurt and not had a real opportunity to stake a claim, but they will be back next year.

“As a coaching group we had some big decisions to make. We left no stone unturned.

“The 25 guys who we have selected are the guys we believe will take us forward to the next phase of the process.”

GB face Torpedo at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Saturday, April 27 and at the Fly DSA Arena Sheffield the following day.

GB squad

Netminders

Ben Bowns – Cardiff Devils

Thomas Murdy – Cardiff Devils

Jackson Whistle – Sheffield Steelers

Defencemen

Tim Billingsley – Nottingham Panthers

Dallas Ehrhardt – Manchester Storm

Steve Lee – Nottingham Panthers

Evan Mosey – Cardiff Devils

Ben O’Connor – Sheffield Steelers

David Phillips – Sheffield Steelers

Mark Richardson – Cardiff Devils

Paul Swindlehurst – Belfast Giants

Forwards

Ollie Betteridge – Nottingham Panthers

Ben Davies – Guildford Flames

Robert Dowd – Sheffield Steelers

Robert Farmer – Nottingham Panthers

Luke Ferrara – Coventry Blaze

Mike Hammond – Manchester Storm

Liam Kirk – Peterborough Petes

Robert Lachowicz – Nottingham Panthers

Ben Lake – Coventry Blaze

Joey Lewis – ESV Kaufbeuren

Matthew Myers – Cardiff Devils

Brett Perlini – Nottingham Panthers

Jonathan Phillips – Sheffield Steelers

Colin Shields – Belfast Giants

The scene after Great Britain’s 3-1 win against Hungary.

Warm-up matches

Great Britain 2, Italy 5

GB twice came from behind with Luke Ferrara and Ollie Betteridge on target, but Italy scored three third-period goals, including an empty-netter, to win.

Italy took the lead at Coventry’s Skydome after 12-54 as Diego Kostner turned in the slot and fired past goalie Jackson Whistle.

Ferrara tipped in Ben O’Connor’s shot through traffic (15-33) on a delayed penalty to ensure the game was tied 1-1 at the first break.
Brett Perlini was denied by Gianluca Vallini after a good break by GB before Italy regained the lead on a powerplay when Anthony Bardaro stepped inside the hashmarks and fired top shelf on the short side at 28-26.

Italy’s Daniel Glira was ejected for boarding and on the resulting five-minute powerplay, Mike Hammond, Robert Farmer and Lewis all went close.

GB levelled on a late powerplay in the second period when Betteridge tipped in O’Connor’s shot from the blueline (39-29).

GB made a good start to the third period and Perlini was denied on the doorstep, while Hammond also went close.

Italy won the game with two goals in 41 seconds as Tommaso Goi’s tip (54-27) was followed by Ivan Tauferer’s low drive past Whistle (55-08).

Giovanni Morini scored into an empty net (59-13) to complete the scoring.

GB players celebrate during their 3-1 victory against Hungary.

Great Britain 3, Hungary 1

Great Britain defeated Hungary 3-1 in an entertaining international challenge game in Milton Keynes.

Paul Swindlehurst, Ben Lake and Brett Perlini were all on target.

A frantic first period saw GB leading 2-1 and soon after Robert Farmer hit the side-netting, Swindlehurst tipped in Evan Mosey’s shot from point (15-07).

Hungary equalised 74 seconds later when Istvan Sofron pulled a great move before beating and then colliding with Ben Bowns (16-21), who was given the all-clear to continue after some treatment.

Britain regained their lead when Lake popped home a rebound (19-44) after great initial pressure from Sam Duggan.

GB scored their third on a three-on-one break which saw Perlini shoot low past Adam Vay after being sent free by Dallas Ehrhardt (23-26).

Bowns had to be at his best to save two successive close-range Hungary efforts, while GB went close to a fourth but Lake and Liam Kirk were both denied by Vay.

Schedule for GB at the 2019 World Championship in Slovakia:

Russell’s team play in the top flight Group A (face-off times local time).

Saturday 11th May: Germany v Great Britain 4.15pm

Sunday 12th May: Great Britain v Canada 8.15pm

Tuesday 14th May: Great Britain v Denmark 4.15pm

Wednesday 15th May: USA v Great Britain 4.15pm

Friday 17th May: Finland v Great Britain 8.15pm

Saturday 18th May: Great Britain v Slovakia 8.15pm

Monday 20th May: France v Great Britain 4.15pm