Sunday September 1, 10:11 PM
Great Britain 3 Hungary 6
Great Britain tonight failed to finish the Euro Ice Hockey Challenge with a win as they went down to their second successive defeat at the National Ice Centre.
It meant they finished bottom of the four-team tournament having drawn their opening game with Slovenia before being handed a lesson by Belarus last night.
Bracknell Bees netminder Joe Watkins was restored between the pipes but was caught out of position to allow Balazs Ladanyi to give Hungary the lead after 98 seconds.
Counterpart Levente Szuper, one of only three Hungarians to be drafted by a National Hockey League team, pulled off a stunning save to deny David Clarke before GB levelled thanks to a Rob Wilson thunderbolt.
GB captain David Longstaff then hit the frame of the goal as the sides went in level at the first break.
But Britain made a much better start to the second session and took the lead inside three minutes when Clarke produced a neat finish to leave Szuper helpless.
Hungary themselves hit a pipe in search for an equaliser which came from Ladanyi for his second of the match.
Watkins was again caught out, this time by Gergely Majoross, shortly afterwards and broke his stick in anger.
Britain had a great opportunity to restore parity when they were awarded a penalty shot after Mike Ellis had been impeded. However, Longstaff failed to test Szuper and the chance went begging.
Nevertheless, GB produced an even better start to the final period when Jeff Hoad beat Szuper via a deflection within 18 seconds of the re-start to put his side back on level terms.
However, that was as good as it got for Britain as goals from Krisztian Palkovics (two) and Laszlo Orso earned Hungary their first points of the tournament.
Despite failing to register a win over the three-day event, it at least gave a number of British players the chance of gaining some ice time at international level.
It is a new era for the GB team and just the beginning of coach Chris McSorley's long-term aim of getting a side full or British-trained players ready for the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Sunday September 1, 10:10 PM
Coach's Warning To Stay-Away GB Stars
Coach Chris McSorley tonight revealed the stay-away players "may have lost the privilege" of playing for Great Britain in the future.
A number of players made themselves unavailable for the Euro Ice Hockey Challenge, which saw Britain finish bottom after two defeats and a draw at the National Ice Centre.
Britain boasted a squad with just six dual-nationals as a number of new youngsters were given valuable ice time at international level.
McSorley said: "The guys played with a lot of pride. There are no pay cheques paid out at the end of the week but they came at their own expense and wore the jersey with pride.
"It's a shame some of the other guys did not come. They lost out on a good privilege.
"The Ice Hockey UK management will address the problem this week but the programme has to come first.
"The guys who did not accept the invitation missed out on a great situation. They must contribute when called. They might have lost the privilege. If they have then so be it.
"We had excuses from mystery groin injuries to moving dates. I never accepted them as a professional and we won't accept them now. The programme is going to have to come first."
GB lost 6-3 to Hungary with a final-period brace from Krisztian Palkovics earning his side their first win of the tournament.
McSorley added: "Good players always seem to determine the outcome of a game and Palkovics is a good player.
"But I am very proud of the guys. I thought tonight was our best effort. We were very close but the best team won."
