Team GB slipped to a 2-1 penalty shoot-out loss to Poland but still gained a valuable point from their opening World Championship match.
The second-seeded Poles started well in Innsbruck and scored the only goal of the first period when Macief Urbanowicz found the net with a deflected shot.
Goalie Stevie Lyle made some fine saves before GB levelled when Greg Chambers fired home on his senior debut.
The match went to penalty shots, with Krzysztof Zapala the only scorer.
Team GB's next game is against hosts Austria on Monday.
"I wasn't disappointed in a single player, they gave me all that they had and none of them let me or their nation down," said Team GB head coach Paul Thompson.
"I know most people expected Poland to win this game but as the night went on I only saw us winning it.
"When it gets down to penalty shots it becomes a lottery, a bounce here, a bounce there and tonight wasn't our night."
He added: "I was delighted with Lyle. He looked strong in between the pipes and made some big saves when they were needed."
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