......from Kuopio (Finland). Dont know if anyone is intersted but here is a link to the Inline World Championship site. Ive just watched USA v Sloivinia we could all learn a thing or two from those boys.

Bit stange though... I woke at 4am and the sun was shining like it was 11am.

http://www.inlinewc2005.fi

GREAT BRITAIN PUT FIVE PAST AUSTRALIA
TEAM PRESS RELEASE
July 11th, 2005
International Ice Hockey Federation In-Line World
Championships, Kuopio, Finland.

Great Britain made it two for two in the preliminary
round today as they defeated Australia 5-3 to set up a
group deciding game against Hungary. London Racer Mark
Thomas was man of the match for GB with two goals and
two assists in a steady team performance.

Further GB goals came from John Dolan, his fifth of
the tournament, Andy Skelding and Nick Burton who have
all made strong starts to the competition. In net for
GB James Tanner stopped seventeen of twenty shots and
made several high quality saves during a second half
that saw Australia pull back from 5-1 down. In a
frantic final period GB survived several scares but
held on, growing stronger towards the final buzzer
with Glen Evans and Skelding both missing chances to
hand the British a three goal cushion.

Great Britain face Hungary in the group decider on
Tuesday evening to establish who will get the
opportunity to playoff against the bottom placed team
in the tournament's elite group in a promotion /
relegation clash. The winner of that game will
continue the tournament in the elite group with the
loser continuing in Division One. GB lost out to
Austria at the same stage last year before going on to
win the Division One tournament. However in order to
have another chance at promotion Great Britain have to
beat a strong Hungarian team that defeated the
Australians 8-4 on Monday.


GB World Championship Schedule:
10.7.05: Great Britain v Portugal 11-1
11.7.05: GB v Australia 5-3
12.7.05: GB v Hungary
13.7.05: Playoffs
14.7.05: Knockout phase begins
16.7.05: Finals

You can follow all the action on the tournament
website at www.inlinewc2005.fi

Official Team GB Sponsors:
Hyper Hockey, Crazy Kennys, Specsavers & The Hockey
Stop.

Tonight's press release

WOOD STONES HUNGARY
Great Britain advance to promotion playoff


Great Britain survived a last period fight-back from
Hungary to triumph in a penalty shootout after an 8-8
tie in Kuopio, Finland on Tuesday night.

Goaltender Dan Wood stopped four of five Hungarian
penalty shots with another shot wide while Simon Hehir
scored to hand GB the win, first place in their
Division One group and an opportunity to play for
promotion to in-line hockey's elite group of eight
nations.

In a nail biting game, Great Britain led 8-4 with
fourteen minutes to go however a superb fight back
from Hungary saw them tie the game with two and a half
minutes to play before a scoreless overtime set up the
shootout.

Wood blanked the first three Hungarian penalties
before Hehir scored. Wood saved again and Andy
Skelding had the chance to end the game with GB's
fourth shot however Andres Sajevic saved his effort
leaving Wood to save low down to give GB their third
win of the tournament, confirming their place as the
top seeds in Division One.

Great Britain head coach Mark Cavallin praised his
team's efforts,
"It was a tense final period and you are always
disappointed to let a lead like the one we had slip,
however we focused and Dan (Wood) came up big in the
shootout."

GB now face Slovenia on Wednesday night with the
winner continuing the competition in the elite group
of eight nations and the loser completing the event in
Division One. At this stage of the competition last
year GB lost narrowly to Elite side Austria therefore
continued to play in Division One where they would go
on to win the gold medal.

Looking forward to the playoff game, Cavallin was
quick to point out that GB are an in-line team still
in its infancy, "Slovenia are a good team but anything
is possible. They are an elite division nation for a
reason but it will be a valuable experience for our
side and help our development."

Great Britain goals tonight came from Andrew Sillitoe,
Andy Skelding, Simon Hehir, Jon Nash Mark Thomas (2),
Richie Hargreaves and John Dolan. Nash was named GB's
player of the game after a solid individual
performance while the line of Thomas, Nick Burton,
Skelding and Glen Evans continues to wreak havoc on
the opposition.

GB face Slovenia at 18:00GMT, the game updates will be
posted on the IIHF In-Line World Championship website
at www.inlinewc2005.fi .

GB World Championship Schedule:
10.7.05: Great Britain v Portugal 11-1
11.7.05: GB v Australia 5-3
12.7.05: GB v Hungary 9-8 (P)
13.7.05: GB v Slovenia (Playoff)
14.7.05: Knockout phase begins
16.7.05: Finals

SLOVENIANS END PROMOTION DREAM FOR GB
Netminder Tanner stars as GB lose 5-4 to Slovenia

TEAM PRESS RELEASE
July 14th, 2005
International Ice Hockey Federation In-Line World
Championships, Kuopio, Finland.

Great Britain's Inline Hockey team narrowly missed out
on promotion to the world's elite group of nations
after a hard fought 4-5 loss to Slovenia in Kuopio,
Finlandd last night.

The GB team were underdogs heading into the
promotion/relegation game which sees Division One's
top placed two teams compete against the bottom placed
teams in the elite division with the winner remaining
in the top division. The loss sees GB remain in
Division One where they are red-hot favourites to
retain the gold medal.

Assistant Captain Andrew Sillitoe had two goals and
John Dolan a goal and three assists, while netminder
James Tanner was exceptional as the British missed out
on what would have been a shock win, but also one that
would have seen them set up a quarter final with
reigning elite division champions Finland. Instead GB
remain in Division One and face Chinese Taipei on
Thursday night.

In a high quality game played on Wednesday, Slovenia
opened a two goal lead with powerplay goals by Dejan
Zemva and Simon Zerdin however GB fought back to tie
the game after Sillitoe and linemate Dolan scored,
before team Captain Simon Hehir put the British in
front in the fifteenth minute. Slovenia hit back to
even things up through Zerdin's second and went in
front at 26:58 through Nejc Sotlar.

The second half of the game saw Slovenia exert some
intense pressure on the British defensive zone however
22 year old goaltender Tanner was in solid form,
several times denying the Slovenian offence and Zerdin
in particular. Great Britain's defence was breached at
41:59 through Rok Bavdaz for a 5-3 lead. With time
running out on the clock and on the powerplay, Great
Britain coach Mark Cavallin pulled his goaltender for
an extra skater leaving an empty net and Sillitoe
scored on the advantage at 46:19 to make it 4-5. In a
frantic final minute Slovenia conceded two penalties
and GB relentlessly attacked however the breakthrough
did not come.

"The clock just ran out on us tonight," said GB
captain Hehir. "It was a good team effort all round
and we showed we are not too far away from being an
elite in-line nation. This loss though hard to take
can only make us stronger for the games we face
ahead."

GB face Chinese Taipei at 17:00GMT,

COMEBACK NOT ENOUGH FOR GB
British go out in the semi-finals

TEAM PRESS RELEASE
July 15th, 2005
International Ice Hockey Federation In-Line World
Championships, Kuopio, Finland.

Great Britain's IIHF In-Line Hockey team suffered a
narrow defeat on Friday night here at the World
Championships after a 4-5 loss to Japan. The Japanese
victory means that they will go on to face Hungary in
the Division One final and GB will play Brazil for the
bronze medal.

Yataka Ono scored the game winning goal for Japan who
led 4-1 heading into the final period after early
goals from Ono, Shutei Tadamura, Tsukasa Hachiya, and
Masanori Kaneko. GB entered the game in the 28th
minute through Andy Skelding, assisted by Jon Nash and
Richie Hargreaves but were frustrated by the tenacious
defence of the Japanese. In the fourth period GB
finally found a way through with Nash scoring at 37.19
assisted by Skelding and Nick Burton. Less than two
minutes later Mark Thomas put away a big rebound, also
assisted by Burton however the comeback was stunted by
a breakaway goal from Ono who found a way past the
excellent James Tanner in the GB net. With time
ticking away Skelding added his second goal and third
point of the night but the tying goal was not
forthcoming.

"That's inline hockey for you," said GB Head Coach
Mark Cavallin, "Sometimes that's the way it goes. We
gave it a good shot and we are disappointed with the
result but no excuses."

GB face Brazil at 10:00GMT with the game updates will
be posted on the IIHF In-Line World Championship
website at www.inlinewc2005.fi .

"We have a good rivalry with Brazil, especially after
beating them in last year's gold medal game," added
Cavallin. "We want to come away from this tournament
with something to show for our efforts and to help
demonstrate that we're a developing in-line hockey
nation."

Tanner was named GB's player of the game for the
second time in the tournament and the young
goaltender's emergence has been a real positive of the
trip. Skelding also shone despite carrying an injury
sustained in the quarterfinal against Taipei.

SILLITOE SHINES AS GB GRAB BRONZE
Brazil beaten 7-4 in Third placed playoff: IIHF
In-Line World Championships
TEAM PRESS RELEASE
July 16th, 2005
International Ice Hockey Federation In-Line World
Championships, Kuopio, Finland.

The Great Britain inline hockey team claimed the
bronze medal in today's third place playoff at the
IIHF Inline Hockey Wold Championships after a 7-4
victory over last year's runner's up Brazil. Andrew
Sillitoe had two goals and two assists while Jon Nash
also had two goals. Further GB goals were scored by
Leigh Roberts, Mark Thomas and Simon Hehir as the
national side wrapped up a comfortable win over a team
Brazilian team also beaten by the British in last
year's division one final.

GB started out of the gate with a point to prove
having disappointed themselves with a stuttering
showing in a semi-final loss against Japan on Friday
night. Leigh Roberts handed the team a 1-0 first
period lead in the ninth minute after a fine set-up by
Sillitoe. With GB heavily outshooting their opponents,
the Brazilian defence was broken again when Jon Nash
made it 2-0 (assisted by Andy Skelding and Mark
Thomas). Two goals from Luiz Almeida tied the game for
Brazil however Sillitoe's first at 20:36 gave GB a 3-2
lead at halfway.

In the third period the British moved up another gear.
Skating well against the free wheeling South
Americans, the British produced some of their better
hockey of this year's tournament with a three goal
burst in nine minutes. First Nash got his second
(assisted by Thomas at 25:04) and Sillitoe's second
followed at 30:46 (assisted by Richie Hargreaves).
Thomas scored unassisted at 34:10 to hand GB a 6-2
advantage. Goals from Caoe Silva at 35:37 and Diego
Araujo, assisted by Almeida at 43:09 gave the South
Americans some hope but a fine wrist shot from team
captain Hehir, assisted by Sillitoe at 44:53 secured
the win.

"We're disappointed not to be playing for the gold
medal today," said Hehir after the game. "Obviously
its nice to end the tournament with a win, but we had
hoped that we'd be celebrating a gold medal and not a
bronze."
"We have to take the lessons we've learned this year
into the future and hopefully we'll be competing for
the top prize again next year."

The United States of America claimed the bronze medal
in the elite competion, they defeated the Czech
Republic (featuring NHLer Ales Hemsky) 6-0. Finland
face Sweden at 17:00GMT in the Elite division final.


Japan face Hungary in the Division One final (face off
is at 13:40GMT).

Hungary, July 9-16th 2006.

GB World Championship Schedule:
10.7.05: Great Britain v Portugal 11-1
11.7.05: GB v Australia 5-3
12.7.05: GB v Hungary 9-8 (P)
13.7.05: GB v Slovenia (Elite Playoff) 4-5
14.7.05: GB v Chinese Taipei (Division One Playoffs)
21-3
15.7.05: GB v Japan (Division One Semifinal) 4-5
16.7.05: GB v Brazil (Bronze Medal Game) 7-4