Chris Grassick is determined to make up for lost time having spent months on the sidelines with a leg injury.
The Edinburgh-born playmaker leads Scotland’s men into a nervy showdown with Russia in Glasgow on Friday (16.30) when the stakes are high.
Victory for Grassick and the squad in this high-pressure, semi-final clash would mean promotion.
And the in-form squad don’t want to spend another year in the second tier of European hockey.
Wednesday night’s narrow 2-1 win over Ukraine means they finished top of Pool A.
Former Kelburne striker Alan Forsyth bagged two goals, one a penalty flick and the other from a penalty corner.
He also fired two goals against Ukraine as Scotland bounced back from a 1-0 deficit to claim victory.
Forsyth, who is a member of the Great Britain squad and plays club hockey for English cracks Surbiton, where Grassick also plays, claimed three goals in the 6-1 victory over Portugal earlier in the tournament at Glasgow’s National Hockey Centre.
And he counted with a single in the 2-1 victory over highly-rated France in Scotland’s opening game on Sunday.
The former Scotland Player of the Year has been a key figure as Scotland finished top of Pool A with an unblemished record of three wins and nine points.
France also progressed to the semi-final from Pool A with six points from two wins.
Wales topped Pool B with seven points from two wins and a draw with Russia in second place on five points from one victory and two draws.
Forsyth’s men are heavy favourites particularly as Russia have only scored six goals and conceded five. Scotland have netted on ten occasions and let in three.
But Grassick, a member of the Great Britain squad who celebrated his 100th cap against Ukraine, is taking nothing for granted.
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