Great Britain ice-cold: Blue Team suffers defeat

Italy's national ice hockey team was unable to repeat its victory from the first test match against Great Britain and lost to the British challenger on Saturday evening.

02 May 2026

From: never

Great Britain took revenge in their second home exhibition game, beating Italy 4-1 – a scoreline that only partially reflects the course of the game. In front of over 6.700 spectators in Nottingham, the hosts got off to an efficient start, taking an early 2-0 lead, even though Italy created several good scoring opportunities in the first period but were repeatedly thwarted by the strong British goalie, Mat Robson.

Even in the remainder of the game, Italy remained the more active team for much of the time. Especially in the second period, the Azzurri created a clear advantage in scoring opportunities, but struggled to find the net. It wasn't until a swift counterattack that Tommy Purdeller of HC Pustertal deservedly narrowed the gap to 2-1. The shot statistics underscored Italy's superiority, but Great Britain defended compactly and conceded few chances.

Italy manages to impress despite defeat

In the final period, Italy's pressure eased somewhat, while the British capitalized on their opportunities. Another goal early on effectively decided the game, before an empty-net goal sealed the 4-1 final score. Despite the defeat, Italy displayed a committed performance for long stretches and impressed with their play, even if they lacked efficiency in front of goal.

The Blue Team departs for home on Sunday, followed by a three-day break. Preparations for the World Championship (May 15-31) resume on May 7th, with two more exhibition games against Great Britain scheduled. The two teams will meet again at the Acinque Ice Arena in Varese on Sunday, May 10th, at 4:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, May 12th, at 7:50 p.m.

Great Britain – Italy 4:1

Goals: 1-0 Hopkins (6.05), 2-0 Clements (9.02), 2-1 Purdeller (38.42), 3-1 Betteridge (57.25), 4-1 Curran (58.55)

Audience: 6.700

Great Britain: Robson (Brine); A. Hazeldine-Richardson; Perlini-Dowd-Curran; Brown Steele; Waller C. Neilson L. Neilson; Tetlow J. Hazeldine; Lachowicz-Betteridge-Harewood; Jenion Clements; Shudra Davies Hopkins. Coach: Pete Russel.

Italy: Smith (Furlong); Buono P. Pietroniro; DiGiacinto-Bradley-Purdeller; Trivellato Di Perna; Saracino-Frycklund-Mansueto; Spornberger-Gios; Frigo-Misley-Porco; Rigoni-Nitz; Mantinger-Rigoni-Ramoser; Albis. Coach: Jukka Jalonen.

Keywords hockey Italy Great Britain test match