Keep on dreaming

Korea and Great Britain clash in the most important game of the day in Eindhoven. Both teams are still unbeaten and have the same goal: Korea to keep its perfect record towards the return in Division Ia, Great Britain to beat probably the tougher opponent and continue to grow the dream of a promotion. The small arena is full of British supporters, while a dozen of Korean fans are confined in a couple of rows in the standings. Game starts with a very high pace in a beautiful atmosphere with fans chanting on the standings. Dowd has a chance on counter-attack after one minute but a defender manages to deflect the puck at the last second. Speedy and skilled, the Korean forwards are a constant danger for British net while goalie Ben Bowns has immediately a lot of work, especially in the first power play, when Korea shots several times. Survived the power play Great Britain try to occupy Korean defensive zone but two wrong passes in sequence allow Testwuide and Ki Suug Kim to threaten Bowns. British goalie has to stop a dangerous shot by Ahn one minute later and to deflect with the leg a Testwuide try in the middle of the period. Great Britain has a power play around minute 15 and a great chance with David Phillips but his shot is amazingly deflected with the mask by goalie Sungje Park. At 18 is Joshua Phillips ttrying to surprise Park with a quick wrap-around but Korean goalie blocked with the leg. On the other side Bowns is called to a difficult deflection on Hyeok Kim. While the period coming to the end, Korea opens the score at the last shot: Woosang Park finds the hole to beat Bowns at 19:38.

Korea doubles the score after 35 seconds in the second period with a masterpiece of Kisung Kim: Anyang Halla forward finds the opposite angle with a turnaround. British risk of sinking but the life buoy comes 16 seconds after, when Robert Farmer beats Park with a shot under the bar. At 23:55 Great Britain has a golden chance of a double power play. Weaver, stopped by Park, opens the list of shots attempted and stopped or deflected by the reactive Korean goalie. After a break for a plexiglas panel damaged, game sees a more aggressive Korea, calling Bowns to two difficult saves on Kim and Testwuide while the best British chance occurs to Jonathan Boxill. After a Korean power play with a couple of good saves by Bowns, Britain has a big chance with Lachowitz but somehow Park is able to deflect even if lying on the ice. At 33 another 5vs3 for the British and this time the team doesn’t waste the chance, scoring from the middle with Ben O’Connor. Same defender has another chance seconds after but Park denies. Korea feeling the pinch and concedes another power play in a part of the period in which Great Britain, pushed by its fantastic fans, produces the maximum effort, preventing the Koreans to take the pressure off, so when the second horn buzzes, it’s like a blessing for the Jim Paek’s guys.

Korea has a power play after two minutes in the last period producing just a dangerous shot with Kisung Kim, deflected by Bowns. At 46:39 a Korean defender sacrifice himself to stop a Ben O’Connor one-to-one, giving Britain a penalty shot, converted by the Sheffield Steelers defender for the joy of fans.

Ben O' Connor scores the winning goal on a penalty shot

At 48 Siyoung Choi hits the base of the post from the blue, while Park rebounds with difficulties a shot by Weaver at 50. In the last 6 minutes Great Britain concedes 2 power play during which Korea wastes two real chances to tie the game, both for the skill of Bowns and the imprecision of the shots. A minute with a man more doesn’t change the final result: a great victory for British

MVP: Sung Je Park – Jonathan Boxill

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