FRIDAY: PROMOTION SHOWDOWN AT THE MOTORPOINT ARENA – BUY TICKETS
Watch every match of the World Juniors Live & On-Demand. Get your 7-day free trial & start streaming instantly
Great Britain beat Romania 7-0 to remain unbeaten at the World Championship Division I Group A at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.
It means a point on Friday against Italy will guarantee Pete Russell’s side a place at the 2024 top-level World Championship in Czechia.
Ben Bowns started the fourth successive game between the pipes and turned away all 13 of Romania’s shots for his third shutout of the tournament, while there were first GB goals for Johnny Curran, Sam Ruopp and Josh Waller.
David Phillips was made captain on the day he became the sixth GB player to reach the 100-cap milestone.
No goals but GB dominate first period
Liam Kirk’s shot slipped through the legs of Zoltan Toke but was cleared off the line, while Ollie Betteridge went close when he broke down the right-hand side short-handed.
Curran and Kirk had chances on a late first-period powerplay but both sides could not be separated at the first intermission.
GB score three goals in just over four minutes to take control
Bowns made a neat pad save to turn away Matyas Kovacs’ shot from the slot, before Robert Dowd flicked the puck to Brett Perlini to score on the doorstep to put GB ahead (30:18).
Nathanael Halbert set-up Kirk to fire in GB’s second from the top of the left circle on the powerplay (32:59) and 79 seconds later, Jonathan Phillips tipped-in Josh Tetlow’s slot (34:18).
Curran, Ruopp and Waller score first GB goals
Bowns made superb save to deny Kovacs again before three players scored their first goals for GB at a World Championship.
Curran deflected Evan Mosey’s shot past Zoltan Toke (46:16) while Ruopp converted a pass from Robert Lachowicz at the backdoor on the powerplay (51:17).
Evan Mosey touched home a loose puck in the crease also on the man advantage (56:27) and Josh Waller put the gloss on the win with a one-timer from the left circle (57:51).
World Championship Division I Group A – Great Britain results and schedule
Saturday 29th April: Korea 0-4 Great Britain – Goals: Lake, Dowd, Neilson, Kirk
Sunday 30th April: Great Britain 5-4 Poland (overtime) – Goals: J. Phillips, Neilson, Kirk, Hammond, Lake
Tuesday 2nd May: Great Britain 3-0 Lithuania – Goals: Neilson, Dowd, Halbert
Wednesday 3rd May: Great Britain 7-0 Romania – Goals: Perlini, Kirk, J. Phillips, Curran, Ruopp, Mosey, Waller
Friday 5th May: Italy v Great Britain – 19:30