Declan Ryan nets GB player of the tournament award
The GB Supporters' Club Player of the Tournament went to Trafford Metros' goalie Declan Ryan. Decs won the award for his performance in the Under 18 World Championships which ended in Poland last Saturday.
The Mets' nettie stopped 130 of the 142 shots (91.55% save percentage) which peppered his net during the 5 games of the Championships. This awesome performance back-stopped the GB squad to retain their Division 1 status for 2010.
Initially, the choice of surface transport seemed a bad one. The team took 36 hours to reach Poland: arriving at the border as the news broke of the 'plane crash in Russia. However, as the volcanic dust cloud grounded 'planes across Northern Europe, the team was able to make their return journey exactly as planned. Not so Decs' parents, Phil and Jane, who had flown to the games. They, fortunately, were able to hitch a ride back on the GB senior squad 'bus giving our hero just 24 hours of peace and quiet before they made it to deepest Derbyshire.
Declan Ryan being presented with his award.
