Britain tops Austria for first win at hockey worlds

May 21, 2024 - 9:57am

Britain's Ben O'Connor, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides first goal during the preliminary round match between Austria and Great Britain at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (Petr David Josek/AP)

PRAGUE — Britain rallied past Austria 4-2 for its first win at the ice hockey world championship on Tuesday.

The victory came after six straight losses for Britain, which finished bottom in Group A with three points and had been already relegated after one year in the top division.

Austria needed to win the game in regulation to retain a chance of qualifying for the playoff round for the first time since 1994. Finland got a playoff spot instead with a game to play against Switzerland later Tuesday.

Germany completed Group B with a 6-3 win over France to move to the second place with 15 points, two more than the United States. The U.S. had already advanced to the next round.

Later Tuesday, unbeaten Canada faces host Czech Republic in a matchup for the top spot in Group A. Latvia has to beat the US in regulation to have a chance to make the playoff round in Group B, where leader Sweden also meets Slovakia.