Colin Shields became Great Britain’s modern-era leading goalscorer as a 14-0 victory over Netherlands ensured a winner-takes-all showdown with Japan tomorrow in the World Championship Division 1 Group B in Belfast.
Shields, on his home SSE Arena ice, scored a hat-trick to move onto 41 international goals and one ahead of previous record-holder Tony Hand.
Sam Duggan scored his first two international goals and netminder Stephen Murphy posted an 11-shot shutout.
GB scored twice in 36 seconds as Shields touched in Ben O’Connor’s shot on the powerplay (4:14) and Jonathan Phillips then burst into the slot and scored low past Sjoerd Idzenga (4:50).
Jonathan Phillips rifled a shot against the bar from the blueline before a special moment for 18-year-old Sam Duggan, who scored his first international goal when he reacted first to a loose puck on the doorstep. (18:39).
Brendon Brooks grabbed his first international goal on the rebound at 21:34, before Craig Peacock scored from the right circle on the powerplay (31:02) and Robert Lachowicz mopped up a rebound (31:23) 21 seconds apart.
Shields equalled Hand’s record at 32:17 when his shot went in off the post, which saw a change in the Netherlands net as Fabian Schotel replaced Idzenga.
Duggan netted his second of the night from the left circle at 34:51 and Stewart went down on one knee to rifle in GB’s ninth (43:25).
Robert Dowd scored GB’s 10th with a one-timer on the powerplay (47:21)
Shields created a moment of history when he slammed his hat-trick at 49:32 to become GB’s leading goalscorer.
Myers touched in GB’s 12th goal of the night (53:00), Brooks pounced for a second (54:16) and Dowd also grabbed a second (56:16) as Britain took their tally to 14 for the night.
GB and Japan are level on 12 points at the top of the table, meaning the winner in tomorrow’s game (7:30pm) will win the gold medal and play in Division 1 Group A next year.