Verdict On Ben Bowns By Freesports: ‘Best World Championship Performance By a GB Goaltender Ever’

Devils Goalie Ben Bowns in action for Great Britain. Pic: Dean Woolley.

Verdict On Ben Bowns By Freesports: ‘Best World Championship Performance By a GB Goaltender Ever’

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Great Britain 3, USA 6

Great Britain produced one of their best World Championship performances in a quarter of a century at the Steel Arena in Slovakia.

Bowns faced 65 shots and capped an outstanding personal display by denying teenager Jack Hughes in the closing stages.

Hughes, who will be first or second NHL pick in the draft, celebrated his 18th birthday this week and thought he had scored until Bowns made his astonishing glove save.

Freesports television commentator Aaron Murphy said: “Bowns performance was the best by a Great Britain goaltender ever.

“It was also a remarkable GB team performance – their best at a World Championships in 25 years.”

USA players in their squad have a combined salary total of £80m-plus, while they boast thousands of NHL appearances between them.

Man of the match Bowns, who was replaced during GB’s 9-0 defeat against Denmark, was given the start by head coach Peter Russell and was at his magnificent best.

Welshman Ben Davies, Brett Perlini and Mike Hammond were the scorers for GB, who held USA at 1-1 after 20 minutes and worked hard throughout.

“We hung in there for most of the game,” said Perlini. “It was a great battle against one of the top teams in the World. We can be proud of that.

“It was an unbelievable game for us.”

USA are ranked fourth in the World and this was the first time they have played GB in 57 years. The last meeting was in the 1962 World Championships in Colorado Springs when they home team won 12-5.

GB have now lost all four matches at the World Championships in Slovakia, but still have hopes of staying in the top tier with three fixtures left.

Match stats:

Scorers, GB: Ben Davies 1+0, Mike Hammond 1+0, Brett Perlini 1+0, David Phillips 0+1.

USA: James van Riemsdyk 1+0, Clayton Keller 1+0, Chris Kreider 1+1, Alex Debrincat 1+0, Jack Eichel 0+1, Quinn Hughes 0+1, Thatcher Demko 0+1, Patrick Kane 1+2, Ryan Suter 0+2, Derek Ryan 1+1, Noah Hanifin 0+2, Luke Glendenning 0+1.

Period scores (GB first): 1-1; 1-3 (2-4); 1-2 (3-6).

Penalties in minutes: GB 2+2+6=10; USA 0+0+0=0

Shots on goal: GB (on Thatcher Demco) 13+9+4=26, Denmark (on Ben Bowns) 18+26+21=65.

Referees: Tobias Bjork and Manuel Nikolic

Schedule for GB at the 2019 World Championship in Slovakia (face-off times local time).

Saturday, May 11: Germany 3 Great Britain 1

Sunday, May 12: Great Britain 0, Canada 8

Tuesday, May 14: Great Britain 0, Denmark 9

Wednesday, May 15: USA 6, Great Britain 3

Friday, May 17: Finland v Great Britain 8.15pm

Saturday, May 18: Great Britain v Slovakia 8.15pm

Monday, May 20: France v Great Britain 4.15pm

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 Shield – Belfast Giants

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