Ben Bowns secured a 32-shot shutout as Great Britain beat Japan 3-0 in Milton Keynes in their opening game at the Euro Ice Hockey Challenge.

Johnny Curran went close to putting GB ahead from the right circle while at the other end, Yushi Nakayashiki hit the post for Japan.

GB took the lead when Ben Lake set-up Liam Kirk who saw his shot saved, before Mike Hammond put away his own rebound (11:55).

Davey Phillips made it 2-0 when he converted Cam Critchlow’s deflected pass (15:14).

Liam Kirk was denied early in the second period before Sam Jones raced down the right wing and set-up Lewis Hook at the backdoor for GB’s third (32:09), while Bowns made a superb pad save to stop Sota Isogai’s close-range shot.

Kirk’s shot at the backdoor was saved after a great pass from Lake, while Cam Critchlow shot just wide of the right-hand post and Curran hit the post in the closing stages

GB return to action tomorrow when they face Poland at the Skydome in Coventry (7pm face-off).

Photos: Dean Woolley. 

Euro Ice Hockey Challenge – schedule and results 
Friday 10th February
Planet Ice, Milton Keynes: Great Britain 3-0 Japan – Click here for gamesheet
Skydome Arena, Coventry: Poland 8-0 Romania – Click here for gamesheet

Saturday 11th February
Planet Ice, Milton Keynes: Romania v Japan – 2:30pm – click here to buy tickets
Skydome Arena, Coventry: Poland v Great Britain – 7pm – click here to buy tickets

Sunday 12th February
Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham: Great Britain v Romania – 4pm – click here to buy tickets
Skydome Arena, Coventry: Japan v Poland – 5:30pm – click here to buy tickets