GB take on Japan in search of promotion to world ice hockey's second tier

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Colin Shields is Great Britain's all-time leading goalscorer.

He scored a hat-trick in last night's thumping win over Holland- 14-0.

He overtook Tony Hand's record of 40.

The win, which saw Giants netminder Stephen Murphy keep a shutout on 11 saves, also sets up a winner-takes-all clash with Japan on Saturday night for the Gold medal and promotion to Division 1A.

It was a straightforward victory for GB, as it was expected to be against the winless Dutch, and Shields gave them the lead within the first five minutes, to the delight of the home crowd.

Head Coach Pete Russell said it's all about the match against Japan.

Jonathan Phillips doubled the lead a few minutes later before 18-year old Samuel Duggan, playing his club hockey for Orebro in Sweden, scored his first international goal to make it 3-0 at the first interval.

There was no let up in the second either as Brendan Brooks netted his first ever international goal, former Giant Craig Peacock added a fifth and then Robert Lachowicz rattled home a sixth only a few seconds later.

Shields' second goal, GB's seventh, finally chased Holland netminder Sjoerd Idzenga from the game midway through the second, but his replacement Fabian Schotel would not fare much better.

Shields praised his teammates' performances.

He would only concede once more in the second, Duggan with his second of the game, but the third would manage to be the worst for the desolate Dutch.

Liam Stewart, son of singer Rod, added a ninth and Robert Dowd took GB into double digits quickly after the restart, before Shields hammered in a rebound for his hat-trick and the record breaker.

Cue joyous celebrations from the GB team, the fans in the SSE Arena, and rueful applause from the Holland team.

That wasn't the end of it either as Matthew Myers tipped in a shot from Giants defenceman Mark Garside for the 12th, Brendan Brooks added his second, and Robert Dowd rounded it off with his second with five minutes to play.

 

A comprehensive win, one which will give them plenty of confidence going into the big one against Japan, who saw off Lithuania 6-2 in the first game of the day, while Estonia got their first win of the tournament, a 4-3 triumph over Croatia.

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