Great Britain And Japan Clash In Gold Medal Shoot-Out

Great Britain 14, Netherlands 0

Colin Shields became Great Britain’s all-time leading goalscorer as a 14-0 victory over Netherlands ensured a winner-takes-all showdown with Japan on Saturday in the World Championship Division One Group B in Belfast.

Shields, on his home SSE Arena ice, scored a hat-trick to move onto 41 international goals and one ahead of previous record-holder Tony Hand.

Sam Duggan scored his first two international goals and netminder Stephen Murphy posted an 11-shot shutout.

GB scored twice in 36 seconds as Shields touched in Ben O’Connor’s shot on the powerplay (4-14) and Jonathan Phillips then burst into the slot and scored low past Sjoerd Idzenga (4-50).

Jonathan Phillips rifled a shot against the bar from the blueline before a special moment for 18-year-old Sam Duggan, who scored his first international goal when he reacted first to a loose puck on the doorstep (18-39).

Brendon Brooks grabbed his first international goal on the rebound at 21-34, before Craig Peacock scored from the right circle on the powerplay (31-02) and Robert Lachowicz mopped up a rebound (31-23) 21 seconds apart.

Shields equalled Hand’s record at 32-17 when his shot went in off a post, which saw a change in the Netherlands net as Fabian Schotel replaced Idzenga.

Duggan netted his second of the night from the left circle at 34-51 and Stewart went down on one knee to rifle in GB’s ninth (43-25).

Robert Dowd scored GB’s 10th with a one-timer on the powerplay (47-21)

Shields created a moment of history when he slammed his hat-trick at 49-32 to become GB’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Myers touched in GB’s 12th goal of the night (53-00), Brooks pounced for a second (54-16) and Dowd also grabbed a second (56-16) as Britain took their tally to 14 for the night.

GB and Japan are level on 12 points at the top of the table, meaning the winner in Saturday’s game (7.30pm) will win the gold medal and play in Division One Group A next year.

World Championship results and fixtures in Belfast:

Sunday, April 23: Netherlands 1, Japan 6; GB 4, Croatia 2; 7.30pm Estonia v Lithuania.

Monday, April 24: Japan 4, Croatia 2; Lithuania 8, Netherlands 0; GB 5, Estonia 1.

Wednesday, April 26: Japan 6 Estonia 2; Netherlands 2, Croatia 6; GB 5, Lithuania 2.

Friday, April 28: Lithuania 2, Japan 6; Croatia 3, Estonia 4; Great Britain 14, Netherlands 0.

Saturday, April 29: 12.30pm Lithuania v Croatia; 4pm Estonia v Netherlands; 7.30pm Great Britain v Japan.