On paper before Ireland’s last game against the UAE no one could take the Gold Medal away from the squad so they could have celebrated a night earlier. Coach Tibbetts and the players were having none of that wanting to go undefeated and win with style.
Gareth Roberts opened the scoring for Team Ireland followed by Steven Adams to make it 2-0 which eased the Irish’s nerves about coming up dry in their last games.
It was Sean Dooley who netted the Irish’s winning marker midway through the second period. By now Team Ireland were flying and young Adams got his second of the night to make it 4-0.
Nothing could stop the “Big Green Irish Machine” now. Dean Kelly put the contest out of UAE’s reach with youngster Steven Balmer notching his first Irish goal of the tournament with only a minute left to play in the middle stanza.
In the third period when all the Irish players saw ice time Steven Ewen scored Ireland’s seventh followed by Sean Dooley’s second of the night to round out Ireland’s by now comfortable victory 8-2.
UAE’s Al Dhaheie scored a short-handed effort plus another on a powerplay however that was far too late in the game to change the outcome with the Irish taking Gold in Style.
Ireland’s Mark Morrison was both forward of the tournament plus Ireland’s player of the tournament. Kevin Kelly, the Irish goalie, was voted goalkeeper of the tournament.
It was then time to celebrate and the Irish know how to do that.
Final Score: UAE 2 – 8 Ireland (0 – 2, 0 – 4, 2 – 2)
SOG: 16 – 32 (2 – 11, 3 – 13, 11 – 8)
PIM: 14 – 16 (6 – 4, 6 – 4, 2 – 8)
Goals: (01:01 – G. Roberts, S. Dooley, G. Martin), (16:55 – S. Adams), (28:02 – S. Dooley, T. O’Driscoll, S. Ewen), (31:49 – S. Adams, S. Hamill, S. Ewen), (37:00 – D. Kelly, G. Roberts), (38:40 – S. Balmer, M. Morrison), (41:21 – S. Ewen, S. Dooley), (44:49 – S. Dooley)
Saves: K. Al Suwaidi (24/32) – K. Kelly (5/5), A. Pepper (9/11)
Ireland’s Man of the Match: Stephen Adams