The Great Britain U19 Men’s Floorball team delivered a determined and spirited performance against Austria in their EUR2 World Cup Qualifier opening clash in Jõgeva. From the opening face‑off, GB showed confidence and intensity, pressing Austria with 2 quick goals from Oliver Olli and Elliot Skinner. Austria started to rally and managed to equalize after 15 minutes in however the young British squad held firm, with strong goalkeeping and committed shot‑blocking keeping the game tight through the first period ending 3-2.
As the match progressed into the second period Austria strengthened and applied constant pressure with 20 shots on goal to 8 with GB conceding just one goal. An amazing performance by Sam Young (GK) and the defensive lines kept GB in the game and managed to create an number of opportunities to score. At the end of the 2nd period GB remained positive and focused understanding the job ahead of them in the 3rd period. 3-3 after second period.
An extremely tense final period saw Great Britain begin to push back, showing the resilience and determination that has defined this squad throughout the last year. There were a number of opportunities to score for both sides with the Austrian offence pressing high to create opportunities. At 5 minutes to go a penalty against GB put us down to 4 and significant pressure. Again the Great Britain squad prevailed and our offence unlucky to score on a couple of occasions. A draw although not the result we wanted demonstrated the potential of the squad — competitive, united, and gaining valuable experience at the highest level.
A great start for Great Britain and congratulations to Sam Young for Player of the Match.
GB’s MVP Sam Young reflected on the day . “Todays game was a amazing experience. I’m really proud of how we played as a team, especially with 40 saves against Austria U19. The team in front of me were brilliant and made my job so much easier. We stuck to everything we’ve been working on and learned throughout the training camps, and it really showed on the court. I’m so proud of how every single person played and the effort everyone put in. It was a really special day representing Great Britain.”
Head Coach Jasper Sangen praised his side. “First day of the tournament, for almost all players the first time playing an official match, so you can imagine there were some nerves before. They handled it very well in the warm up and we’ve been working with the group on how to prepare for the game.
The end result shows that it was a very tight game with big opportunities on both sides. Sam was an absolute fortress in goal (90%+ savings percentage) who made some crucial saves. On the other end we had good finishes which gave us the lead and kept us in the game. All the way until the end it was a close game and I’m happy with the draw.
Tomorrow we are playing against Ukraine, another team GB played against last qualifier. They won’t be as surprised as Austria was today, so I expect another close game. It is turning out to be a very close group, all competing for those desired tickets to the World Championship! For now, we’re keeping our focus on our core principles and from there we are going for the victory!”
Great Britain face Ukraine tomorrow at 14:00 on the IFF App and Website.
Photography Credit: International Floorball Federation
Match Report: Scott Van Wyklivet in Estonia