OXFORD’S amateur ice hockey team conquered France by winning the prestigious Lyon Friendship Tournament.

The Shooting Stars side had finished their English League season bottom of the Southern Conference without a victory.

But they won eight of their nine matches to triumph in the ten-team tournament, which is open to any player that has not played professionally within three years.

After an impressive opening which saw them beat Dammarie Caribous 3-1 and Lyons Fours 10-0, Stars were brought crashing to earth with a 3-0 defeat to Chamrousse.

Stars bounced back with a narrow win over The Elephants of Chambery thanks to an excellent strike by Tom Kosar.

The Slovakian, playing with renewed confidence, tormented hosts Lyon Lions, scoring after just three seconds to set up a 5-0 victory and leave Oxford second in the table at the end of the first day.

Day two started with a solid 3-1 win over Vaujonay and 2-0 victory over Grenoble as Stars went back to the top of the table.

A 1-0 success over Charleville, which did not go down well with the French crowd, meant Stars would be champions if they avoided defeat in their final game against Troyes.

And three goals inside the opening five minutes secured a 3-0 victory, and the title.

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  • James Schall celebrates winning the tournament in France