Steeldogs Spotlight - Brit Pack In 7th Heaven

The Bradfield Brewery Sheffield Steeldogs were in crossover Challenge Cup action.

Sheffield chose to go with an all British line up and were missing Craig Elliott but added the youthful faces of Cole Shudra and George Crawshaw to the team. Sharks had just eleven out skaters and played Jordan Boyle in goal opposite Brad Day.

At 3.04 Boyle couldn't control a Shudra shot and Callum Pattison was on hand to score his second goal of the campaign against the Sharks. The Steeldogs kept creating more scoring chances and on 9.30 emergency forward Steve Duncombe was left with time and space to slot the puck home after work from Hirst and Calvert. And with Solway looking stunned Lloyd Gibson made it 3-0 from Smith and Barry just 67 seconds later.

The short-benched Sharks suffered further when Calvert tapped home a Bell blast from the point. Hirst was next to breach the Scot's defences with a short ranged snipe off a good feed from Lee Haywood. And before the period was finished, a rocket from Shudra beat the keeper but pinged off the cross bar and out. Cam Brownley had two bites at the cherry but fired over with his own rebound after Boyle saved his first. The buzzer brought the period to a close.

Just 1 minute and 18 seconds was all it took for the Dogs to add a 6th goal courtesy of Cam Brownley, who finished from close range after Squires and Gibson had created the space. Solway began to create a few more chances of their own too, making Brad Day use his pads and gloves to good effect. George Crawshaw appeared in the closing minutes of the period, having completed his game with the academy on the other pad. Lee Haywood had a great chance but maybe forgot which end of the ice he was at as his shot somehow missed from six inches! Solway Sharks worked their socks off and they finally beat Day at 39.59, Mitchell prodding the puck home from Tonnar and Quinn.

The final period saw Crawshaw and Shudra getting plenty of ice time, working hard on their lines and supported by the senior players. Tom Barry and Cam Brownley were putting in mature performances and showing their potential and it was Cam Brownley who added goal number 7 at 55.09 from Gibson and Calvert.

The game ended in a 7-1 score line and there were no penalties awarded in the game. It was great to see Barry, Brownley and Shudra all scoring points in the game and it was fitting that Tom Barry was the Steeldogs Man of the Match after his great defensive performance. Jordan Boyle, net minder for the Solway Sharks, was voted Man of the Match for the visitors having faced 55 shots. The team deserved their beer on the bus.

Next up for the Bradfield Brewery Sheffield Steeldogs will be Basingstoke Bison on Sunday. Face-off 5:30pm. Be there!

Words: Roger Williams (@ElGordoSteel)
Pics: Jake Oakley (@SnapperJakeO)

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