Game Highlights - December

Welcome to your highlights package for the month of December. Quite a few games to look back on.

A 4-1 loss at the Panthers

A 6-1 home win over visitors Milton Keynes

A 4-1 road win at Braehead

A 3-2 loss on home ice against Belfast

First leg of the Challenge Cup quarter final, a 7-2 win at Dundee 

A loss in Cardiff by 4-1

Beaten 3-1 on home ice by Fife

Second leg of the Challenge Cup quarter-final, 6-1 on the night (13-2 overall) against Dundee

Shut Out Number One: 3-0 at home to Braehead

Shut Out Number Two: 4-0 on Boxing Day at home to the Panthers

Shut Out Number Three: 5-0 in Nottingham

Shut Out Number Four: 3-0 at home to the Storm

Happy viewing!

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A festive message

On behalf of everyone involved with Frozen Steel, we would like to say the following to you:

Thanks for your support, we appreciate it.

Mark and the FSB team.

Big Match Preview: Nottingham and Manchester

Welcome to a preview for the Christmas and New Year games for the Steelers.

After turkey, tinsel and the odd tot of sherry, Steelers are back in action for four games which could really make or break their season. They start off these with games on Boxing Day and the day after with the opposition being provided by this team:

Yes it's those Bears! The very same Bears whom I said were unstoppable before this month began. However, the wheels have started to fall off and dramatically too so much so that they roll into Sheffield in fourth place and six points behind leaders Cardiff. They have a couple of matches in hand, but as you know you've got to win them. We can imagine that they will hurting come 4pm on Boxing Day, and this is a similar scenario to last season. Steelers know winning both games will really put a massive dent in their biggest rivals title bid whilst giving them a faint chance that they can get closer to those at the top of the table.

Another double header comes either side of the New Year, as we face another tough couple of assignments in the following:

Yes it's Finner's Storm! Storm started the season with an absolute bang, leading it for a number of weeks too. But they slipped off the radar for a while. However, the roster that they have is packed with talent and ability. Former Braehead forwards Mike Hammond, Matt Beca and Scott Pitt are capable of taking any team apart giving half the chance. Games between Steelers and Storm have been feisty and physical affairs so we don't expect anything different in this double header. It promises to be a post-Christmas Cracker double header, games that you want to be at.

My predictions? Steelers to beat Panthers 4-2 on Boxing Day but slip to a 3-1 loss the day after in the NIC. As for the Manchester games, Steelers to take the Arena game 5-2, and to win in Altrincham on New Year's Day with a 3-2 overtime triumph. How do you see them unfolding?

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Steelers sleigh Clan with a shutout

Welcome to the match report from the Steelers game against the Braehead Clan.

Steelers headed into the final game before Christmas on the back of a 6-1 Challenge Cup quarter final win over the Dundee Stars. It was a chance for the team to impress before back to back Christmas games against the Panthers. Team news saw the Steelers at full strength bar Kieran Brown which meant that both Scott Aarssen and Zack Fitzgerald faced their old club. Clan featured former Steelers defenceman Christoffer Björklund, but were missing forwards Cale Tanaka, Tyler Shattock and former NHLer Ryan Poultny who impressed well in his last visit to the Arena in October.

After a delay due to power outage the home team created a very early chance, Swedish forward Andreas Jämtin causing Ryan Nie in the Clan goal to hold on after just 11 seconds of play. Paul Thompson also juggled up the lines with Liam Kirk partnering Colton Fretter and Mathieu Roy on the top line, the usual second line combination, John Armstrong onto the third with Matt Marquardt and Jämtin, and Tim Wallace moved to the fourth alongside captain Jonathan Phillips and Jonas Westerling. Clan were given a powerplay just over five minutes in when Andreas Valdix seemed to be harshly called for goaltender interference but the Steelers penalty kill has been one of their strengths, and saw off the man advantage.

Braehead continued to press, and forced Ervins Mustukovs into a series of saves midway through the opening twenty before Steelers came back into it at the end. However, the teams remained scoreless with Clan edging it the game via shots on goal. We didn’t have to wait for a goal in the middle period though as Steelers got themselves on the board at 21:38. Good work from Armstrong set up Marquardt to score his 14^th of the season from the high slot with Jämtin providing a good screen in front of Nie. That 14^th goal for Marquardt matched his tally with Coventry last season. Despite this, and plenty of other chances Steelers held that slender margin going into the final period.

The dominance continued in the third and you just knew it was coming. Mathieu Roy with a nice pass to his faithful sidekick Colton Fretter who made the Clan look absolutely daft before dispatching beyond Nie for 2-0 and a bit of breathing space. It was Colton’s 13^th of the season. Apart from that opening period, Clan been second best for the second and third period and captain Ville Hämäläinen took a nasty knock towards the end of the game which is bound to concern coach John Tripp in what has been a very short-benched Clan roster all season so far. With 1:48 left to play, Clan gambled and risked Nie for an extra attacker. It was prone to leave them exposed, and they almost conceded a third when Tim Wallace (a player in need of goals) missed the empty cage from near on the half board next to the Clan bench. A few moments later, the clincher arrived. Clan turned the puck over after that Wallace effort, and the King Of Sheffield swooped on it before doing a nice wraparound finish into the unprotected goal: Mathieu’s 13^th of the season. Game done and dusted, now for the Panthers!

Time for the statistics:

Goals: Steelers 3 Clan 0 

Steelers Scoring: Roy 1+1, Marquardt 1+0, Fretter 1+0, Matheson 0+1, Armstrong 0+1.

Clan Scoring: Nobody!

Shots On Goal:  Steelers 39 Clan 23

Powerplay: Steelers 0 from 4 (0% conversion), Clan 0 from 3 (0% conversion)

Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 6 Clan 8

Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 23 Saves (674), GAA: 0.00 (2.30), Save Percentage: 100.00% (91.70%).

Man of the Match: Ervins Mustukovs (Steelers), Ryan Nie (Clan)

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Big Match Preview: Braehead (Home)

Welcome to the preview of the next Steelers game.

There's only one game for the team this week, and that happens on Saturday night in the House Of Steel. Making the trip south of the border are the following team:

Yes it's the purple army, the Braehead Clan. Therefore we hope to see a great deal of our purple friends in the building. Games between both teams are usually entertaining and at times, close, so we could be in for a game and a half if previous encounters have anything to go by. This season has seen the sides feature against each other four times already, as they were grouped together in the same Challenge Cup qualifying group, and it's the Steelers who hold the upper hand with a win each time. In the same games, Steelers have scored 16 times compared to the Clan's 5. But that means nothing as Braehead certainly have the ability to inflict more league misery upon us.

A win for the Steelers would improve confidence in the ranks after a blank weekend last, whilst a win for the Clan could see them improve their own league standing and if results go against the Steelers - the home side could easily be lying in 7th place by the time they take on the Panthers in the Christmas double header games.

My prediction? Steelers to get back to winning ways in the league and to continue their dominance over the Clan this season: I'll take them to win it 5-2. How about you?

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The Junior Report - Edition 11

Welcome to the Junior Report again, this time it's a look back at Tuesday night's game at the Arena against Dundee Stars in the Challenge Cup quarter-final second leg.

A Tuesday night at the arena saw the Steelers take on a stars side who have never really got going in the campaign so far. The Steelers and Stars have played each other 6 times now this season, Steelers winning all 6 of the clashes, two of them being the challenge cup.

It was the Challenge Cup second leg on Tuesday at the arena, and the crowd was expectant. After a goalless and action-less first period, the second came to life around 10 minutes in, when a check from behind by Robert Dowd caused a fight between him and the stars player, who had every right to have a pop at Dowd for the hit. Dowd won the fight pretty easily, not expected. He reminded me of a peaky blinder in the way he went about the fight, he accepted he was in the wrong, but absolutely battered the person for starting with the wrong person. Best thing was, it was right under my nose, as I was sat on row one of the away block, and let me tell you, I’ve never been as scared in my life, and I’m behind the glass!

The first goal was a great solo effort from new boy Miika Franssila. Excellent hands resulting in a goal past the off form Fullerton opened the scoring, something to cheer for the 3500 Steelers fans in attendance. Nearer the end of the period the Steelers scored again and doubled the advantage, a backhand goal from Marquardt was what separated the two teams by an even further margin.

In the third period the Steelers were absolutely relentless, everything they shot turned to a goal, and it seemed as though we were on a constant powerplay with the way we were going about it. What I liked about the performance was how we were getting shots low to high and high to low, constantly confusing the already disgruntled defence. Matt Marquardt converted a breakaway, Zack Fitzgerald whiffled a one timer passed Fullerton, Mathieu Roy scored a very nice tip goal out in front, and Ben O’Connor also got on the score sheet. What also impressed me was how many points Jonas Westerling got on the night, he is certainly a very underrated player, who deserves more credit for the effort he puts into his play. No matter his size he is constantly finishing his checks, and letting people know he is a nuisance.

The Stars got a consolation goal for their excellent travelling support, which is also who I need to credit because they travelled all the way down to Sheffield to see their team lose heavily, but it shows true passion for their team, and they have my respect for that. Final score, Steelers 6 Stars 1.

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Semi Final for Steelers as Stars sent packing

Welcome to our main match report from last night's Challenge Cup game against the Dundee Stars.

On a rare Tuesday night, the Steelers played their quarter-final second leg against the Dundee Stars. Steelers had taken a massive step towards clinching a semi-final berth with a 7-2 win in Tayside last week, but were looking to pick themselves up after a zero point weekend in the league. The team news saw Steelers not ice either Levi Nelson nor Kieran Brown. Cole Shudra started off in defence and defenceman Mark Matheson iced as a centre. Ervins Mustukovs started off the game in between the pipes. Omar Pacha's side were without Cameron McGiffin and Taylor Dickin who both left the club on Monday, as well as former Steeler Chris Lawrence and Swede Johan Andersson.

Steelers controlled the game from start to finish but some stubborn resistance from the Stars meant the deadlock remained unbroken until two and half minutes before the end of the second period; but what a goal it was though. Some absolutely ridiculous skill from new Finnish defenceman Miika Franssila saw him scythe his way through the Stars defence like a knife through hot butter; and then leave Travis Fullerton floundering before tucking the puck into the empty net for his first ever Steelers goal. A goal of the season candidate already. Prior to that we had a fight, Robert Dowd went through with a check that Anthony Mastrodicasa took exception to. Someone should have told Mastrodicasa that Dowd is not to be messed with, the former's team mate Riley Stadel knows this, and in the resultant scrap Dowdy again took charge.

The second goal came with just 14 seconds of the same second period left, Matt Marquardt finishing off a great move created by Dowd and Liam Kirk to score his 12th of the season. That made it 9-2 on aggregate and you couldn't see any further way back into the tie for the visitors. The final period saw Steelers give Mustukovs the rest of the night off as Brad Day was given some much welcomed ice time. It became 3-0 on the night just 73 seconds into the final twenty, Marquardt scoring his second of the game and 13th of the season on a breakaway after Andreas Jämtin had carved open the Stars defence. At 44:29 the lead was extended further when a wrister from Zack Fitzgerald (still playing with a face guard) found it's way home but it was one that Fullerton would be embarrassed to see over and over again. It was Fitzy's first of the season.

That Fitzgerald goal was also to spell the end of Fullerton's night as he made way for Craig Holland who would ice for the remaining 15 and a half minutes. Steelers obviously sensed more goals were to come and added their fifth at 47:18. Mastrodicasa was serving a slashing minor and just 11 seconds into that powerplay, Ben O'Connor put one on goal and Mathieu Roy in his usual position got the decisive tip to defeat Holland. It was the King's 10th of the season. A sixth came before 50 minutes play, a left shot from left circle by O'Connor eluded Holland and found its way in. Benny's seventh of the season. As the game petered out, we had a second fight of the night - Pacha rubbing up Colton Fretter the wrong way and getting a taste of his own medicine. Stars did however score the final goal of the tie, just like they did with the first, Justin Fox with a nice finish with 76 seconds left in the game to ruin the double shutout.

So Steelers advance 13-2 on aggregate, and now await the winners of the Cardiff-Guildford quarter final.

Time for the statistics:

Goals: Steelers 6 Stars 1 

Steelers Scoring: Westerling 0+3, Marquardt 2+0, Roy 1+1, O'Connor 1+1, Matheson 0+2, Franssila 1+0, Fitzgerald 1+0, Aarssen 0+1, Jämtin 0+1, Kirk 0+1, Dowd 0+1.
Stars Scoring: Fox 1+0, Mimar 0+1, Lévesque 0+1.

Shots On Goal:  Steelers 39 Stars 15

Powerplay: Steelers 1 from 4 (25% conversion), Stars 0 from 5 (0% conversion)

Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 22 Stars 40

Steelers Goaltender Stats: Mustukovs 13 Saves (186), GAA: 0.00 (2.25), Save Percentage: 100.00% (92.50%). Day 1 Save (33), GAA: 3.00 (2.18), Save Percentage: 50.00% (91.70%)

Man of the Match: Matt Marquardt (Steelers), Justin Fox (Stars)

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