Five Things on the weekend just gone

Thank you to Tony for his contribution to FSB, All Credit for this piece goes to him so any queries you can contact Tony on Twitter @DISGU15ED

So now the Steelers league season has started, what five things did we learn this weekend?

1>     Lies, damn lies, and conferences – After lots of talk about the conferences looking a lot more equal I thought I’d take a look at the first few weeks of cross-conference league games. Any guesses what proportion have been won by the Erhardt teams? Go on have a guess - the answer is below, and it’s higher than 50:50. (p.s. In your mind did you add the words ‘draw tickets’ after I said 50:50 too?!)

2>     Walkover over? – Whilst we can still look at another four point weekend, it wasn’t quite the plain sailing we expected. Looks like Dundee have taken a huge step forward this year (but they could hardly be as bad as last year could they), and Manchester made it harder for us than our recent demolitions of Cardiff and Coventry would have suggested.

3>     Gardiner roundabout - in the last few weeks Fife beat Edinburgh, who beat Dundee, who beat Braehead, who beat Fife - still waiting for the Conference top dog to show themselves. Especially as Manchester beat Edinburgh 8:1!

4>     Marvellous Mosienko – Various sources had him as scorer of about 5 goals this weekend, although was officially given only 3. The boy’s on fire, and that’s handy whilst Roy’s taking a back seat.

5>     Dave Simms – Not sure how many of you reading this also lurk on the Steeltalk forum, but there was a nice thread discussing some of the many good things he does for the club and fans this week. So it was a little contrary when DS then used this as ammunition to have a pop at the Site Admin on Twitter. We're better off with him than without him - and I chant that quietly to myself like a mantra when he goes off on one - I find it helps.

Storm watch : A much better weekend for the boys from Altrincham, beating Coventry comfortably, and then a very close ran game against a bus weary Steelers at the Arena on Sunday.

So my the final thought this week relates to the cross-conference league games, where 9 out of 10 have been won by the Erhardt’s. Granted it’s a small sample, but it does point to the same old inequity. It doesn’t mean a Gardiner team can’t win the odd game or two, but it does point towards the gap still being there despite what the apologists might tell you.

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The Elite Report - Week 3 Review

Welcome back everyone to this week's Elite Report, your weekly review of all things Elite League. We are now a full three weeks into the season and already some things are becoming clear at this early stage in the season. Of course we will look at each one of the ten member clubs.

 

One can't start the weekly review without a quick personal view on the events of last Friday night in the SSE Arena, Belfast. When I first heard about what had happened there - I was like what the heck? But credit must go to Dean Smith for his quick and heartfelt apology on social media as soon as the error was becoming talk of the whole league. Deano knew he messed up, and it takes some guts to admit that especially as a IIHF standard referee which he now is. No brushing it under the proverbial carpet, hands up and apologies there and then. Well done with that Dean, and also a big pat on the backs to the Giants organisation who made a smart move in reducing the walk up prices for those who attended Friday and wanted to go Saturday too. Applause to all and sundry.

 

Giants had further reason to smile with Krys Beech's winner in that overtime, just ten seconds left of it though. Must say that the 190 game NHLer is getting a bit handy with these.  There was no such mistake Saturday in the second match as the Northern Irish team skated away with a 5-2 win in regulation. Mike Forney is lighting the lamp with regularity, 11 points in just 6 games so far and proving so far he is not a single season wonder.

I do think Riley Emmerson will still take some positives from both games, the Caps were certainly not outclassed in both games. Then it lose their third game of what must have been an exhausting mini schedule so early in the season; in overtime; I reckon that his new look Edinburgh roster are slowly coming to terms with what Riley expects from them. They're heading in the right direction.  There is no reason for the Caps to worry at all, I fully expect them to find the winning feeling shortly.

Despite playing just a single game that weekend, Steelers still are looking quite impressive. Another shut out of a lacklustre Blaze, and their record from their last three games now reads at 17 goals scored and just a single goal conceded. The players are definitely buying in what Paul Thompson demands at the moment, and that must be pleasing. Considering that the 5-0 win was achieved without last season's EIHL MVP Mathieu Roy not getting a point, Thompson has to be delighted that his team is contributing everywhere and not relying on one single player.

Coventry themselves are struggling for consistency. They looked like a team devoid of all ideas on Saturday, and must be counting their lucky stars that Steelers didn't go and run the score up. The sight of Brian Stewart and his captain Ashley Tait almost losing the plot with each other must have worried Chuck Weber considerably. Defensively I'm not convinced by them. Yet Sunday's home 1-0 win over Nottingham has at least stopped the bleeding for a while. 

Nottingham themselves are still a team trying to find consistency of their own. Whilst they did eventually win 7-2 at home to Manchester, the fact it took them until late in the final period to finally put the game out of the Storm's reach has to be a concern for Corey Neilson. With both Geoff Waugh and recent recruit Andi Wiedergut both on the sidelines, Panthers blueline core is being stretched to the limit. It might be that they have ride the crisis and hope that they don't pick any more injuries which could really force Neilson's hand into finding replacements.

Both Cardiff and Fife enjoyed four point weekends which for any team is always good. Cardiff were involved in a couple of high scoring games which shows that they have the firepower to score at will but the defence isn't as watertight. If this can be tweaked slightly then I am sure Andrew Lord's team will live up their pre-season billing as the team most have as the dark horses for the title. Fife will be much happier after a maximum haul. With both Patrick Cullen and Jeff Lee proving a good offensive threat, Todd Dutiaume and Danny Stewart will be collectively quite content.

Whilst the results didn't go their way, Manchester are still proving no pushover. For a team that was assembled quicker than a Rubik's Cube, they have really given everyone they have played a game. As touched on early, it took Nottingham until the final three minutes of Saturday's game to beyond the game beyond Omar Pacha's hard working side. Then to lose so heartbreakingly 8-6 to the Devils after leading 6-4 must have really felt like a kick in the nuts. A first win of the season really can't be that far away.

Dundee's topsy turvy form continues. Beaten 5-2 in Fife Saturday night and then winning 2-1 against the Clan is certainly a case of experiencing very contrasting emotions. MLF must be wondering what will happen next. However after the trials and tribulations of last season's annus horrilbus, Stars have to be quite content with life. To finish with Clan, I don't think Ryan Finnerty is ready to press a panic button yet. Losing a nine goal thriller in overtime to Cardiff isn't a bad result but losing to Dundee might have given them a thought that the other Scottish teams aren't gonna roll over this season as easy as last.

So that's how I saw week three. Coming in next week's edition, the usual review plus this column's Player of the Month and Team of the Month.

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Big Match Preview - Manchester (Home)

After Saturday night's long away trip, it's back to the House Of Steel on Sunday night for more Challenge Cup action. Visiting Sheffield for the first 2002 are the Manchester Storm, and boy for one I'm absolutely delighted to have this name back in the EIHL calendar. Storm have replaced the sadly departed Hull Stingrays as of this season in case you have been asleep for the last six weeks or so.

Setting the scene with FSB is Storm supporter Gareth Dutton, who also works for the Club as an off-ice official.

FSB: How good does it feel to have the Storm back in the Elite League?

GD: It feels absolutely brilliant for Elite League Hockey to be back in Manchester. However even better when the team is one that every UK hockey fan from the mid 1990s to the early 200s will remember from the ISL days.
 
FSB: Omar Pacha has assembled a team in a very short space of time. What would you think is a realistic aim for the Storm this season taking that into account?

GD: Omar, Neil (Russell) and the rest of the staff at the Storm have done an amazing job to get a team assembled in such a short space of time. I think a realistic aim would be the Play-Offs. Obviously we would like a trophy in the first year but the main realistic aim must be the Play-Offs.

FSB: There's been a lot of disagreements that Storm are not the proper Manchester team; Phoenix are. What's your opinion on that?

GD: My opinion is that if Sheffield can have at least 4 teams in the 3 leagues over here (EIHL, EPL and NIHL) then why can't Manchester have more than one of their own? It would help develop moire British trained players and maybe lead to something that we all love: that having more Manchester trained in the GB squad.

FSB: Sunday's game is the first game between the two teams since 2002? How good is to have the rivalry back?

GD: Whilst it feels very good, it also makes me realise I am getting older haha. I was about 12 years old when the last Storm - Steelers game was played in 2002. In addition, I still remember the 17,245 sell out game which was also scary for a then 9 year old plus the 6-2 game at the old M.E.N Arena (now known as the Manchester Arena these days) which was on Sky Sports 1 mainly because we got the old ISL trophy that night.

I still have that game on a VHS tape somewhere.

FSB: Do you ever see the Storm ever playing back at the Manchester Arena as it is now known. That 17,245 crowd still remains a record yet to surpassed.

GD: Maybe in a few years depending how the attendance goes on in Altrincham. However they will need to install the ice again as they removed it all when Phoenix left there.

FSB: And finally, who do you think the key players will be and what will be the final score as a prediction?

GD: I think Steelers key player tonight will be (Tyler) Mosienko for his goals and general all round play but there are so many key Steelers players as you know. For Storm, I'm going to go for Toulmin for his all round game play. The guy can shoot, can make the play happen and loves to throw the body around.

Score prediction? I'll go for Storm 5 Steelers 4 after overtime.   

         

Many thanks to Gareth for giving up his time.

Thanks for reading guys. If you want to get involved please contact us on twitter or find us on Facebook and like us and leave a comment:-

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Big Match Preview - Dundee (Away)

Steelers start their 2015-16 Elite League season campaign on Saturday night. The team make the lengthy bus ride to Tayside and the Dundee Ice Arena. Lying in wait are former player and a recent assistant coach, Marc LeFebvre, and his newly assembled Stars team. It's again a much changed Stars line up we will face, and we will be hoping we are the ones getting off to a winning start.

Helping FSB set the scene for the game is Stars supporter and match night commentator for @DundeeStarslive, Dave Sweetin.

FSB: How would you describe last season for the Stars?

DS: Last season was, quite simply, a disaster for the Stars. Bottom of the League, bottom of the Conference, lost some decent players along the way and then, to top it off, lost our Coach at the end of the season. And yet, it actually didn’t start off that badly.

We were looking like real contenders on paper with a Playoff winning Captain in Chris Blight, a League MVP and 100 points a season scorer in Jade Galbraith. Challenge Cup winner, Matt Ryan, had signed from the Panthers and had a wealth of Euro experience, as Assistant Coach and looked excellent in his first few games. We’d also signed 6”5’ forward, John Mitchell, who had a pretty solid AHL career behind playing in 193 games over 4 seasons with the Syracuse Crunch, the Norfolk Admirals, the Hershey Bears and the Portland Pirates. Kelly Cup winning D Man, Kevin Quick, came highly recommended from the South Carolina Stingrays where he captained the team in the ECHL for 2 seasons having also played 176 AHL games, mostly for the Norfolk Admirals.

These were all promising signs before the season started and there was plenty optimism around the D.I.A following our Gardiner Conference winning season the year before. This looked like a better team. In preseason we beat Italian league side Asiago, who went on to win the Italian League last season. We did well against Edinburgh in pre-season games and all in all things were looking fine for the season ahead.

Then the season started and things seemed to unravel fairly quickly. Jade Galbraith didn’t arrive which was a huge blow as he was probably going to be our leading points scorer. We lost Matt Ryan and John Mitchell fairly early in the season which further depleted our roster. We lost our first 5 games of the season then had narrow victories over the Flyers and Capitals before losing to the Clan and, despite claims that it was early in the season or Challenge Cup games only, we never seemed to get out of the rut and really struggled most weeks to get a result. 

Along the way we had some heavy losses, one of which against the Steelers 11-1 which gave the Steelers their 3rd highest winning margin since 2000. Another against Belfast 9-3. We seemed to incur more than our fair share of injuries along the way which didn’t help. Chris Blight and Shane Lust were out for some weeks which left us very short benched and really struggling against the bigger rostered teams. We did get the odd result. The 3-2 win over the Panthers sticks out in my mind but they were a rarity and it became obvious that, despite what we looked like on paper, on the ice it wasn’t working.

Then, at the end of the season, the owners were looking to change things and had some ideas on what they wanted to alter or improve on. Unfortunately, Jeff Hutchins couldn’t commit to them and, after 4 seasons, they decided by mutual agreement to go their separate ways. Jeff has moved to pastures new and is now coaching in China with the China Dragon in the Asia League.

The owners then set about making some changes on and off the ice. These were arguably needed as there were some very upset fans and I think it was a great decision to look at the club top to bottom and just review everything. They set up fan groups to consult on some areas, for example social media, website development and the game night experience. They also hired a new Coach and brought Marc LeFebvre in.

FSB: Marc LeFebvre has come in as your new coach. Bearing in mind he was fired by Blaze, smart move for you or stupid?

DS: The Stars bringing in a full time Coach as opposed to a Player Coach was a bit of a surprise. Purely for budgetary reasons, I figured we would always go with a Player Coach but, as everything was up for review, I think the Wards decided to go in this different direction to try and make a real difference this season.

Things may have ended badly in Coventry for Marc but the team he built went on to win the Playoffs. I’m not sure what went on behind the scenes there but Marc’s recruitment looked excellent and he will get the chance in Dundee to put what went on in Coventry behind him and prove his detractors wrong. I think a Coach with a point to prove could deliver a good season for the Stars and was a smart move to bring someone in who will have that extra bit of desire to the job done.

The early signs certainly look good. Any team that has the ability to bounce back and win after being behind surely has a good morale and work ethic. We may have an issue with consistency but Marc said after the win over Braehead last weekend that he was working on that. As an ex Steeler, I’m sure he will be keen to get something on Saturday and we look to up our game against the bigger teams so I’m hoping we can do the same against Sheffield this weekend.

FSB: You've also acquired Doug Clarkson this season. Did that come as a surprise?

DS: In a word, yes. I remember thinking “Wow” when that got announced, “That’s a huge signing for Dundee”. Doug was in a great Cardiff team last year. I remember him scoring against us last season when Cardiff came up to the D.I.A and just played really well. He isn’t just there for his size either. 20 goals and 23 assists last season at the Devils prove that he has that scoring ability and already this season he’s on more than a point per game average.

His line with John Dolan and our Captain, Riley Wetmore, has generated almost the same points as our top line of Dickenson, Chaumont and Leinweber so after initially thinking he was coming in as an enforcer, he’s now shown that he could well end up a key point scorer for the team and also that he is a strong team leader both on and off the ice.

FSB: You had an incredible season in 2014, would you say this is the best moment as a Stars fan so far?

DS: Absolutely. That season was incredible. We didn’t really have any big name players. Most had come in reasonably early in their pro careers and I’m not sure there were that many high expectations of the team at the start of the season.

The stand out was obviously Dan Bakala in goal who went home at the end of the season with a suitcase full of awards from the Stars and the League after achieving a GAA of 2.62 and a save percentage of 92.7. But other stand outs for me were Nikita Kashirsky Nico Sacchetti and Jerry Pollastrone whose link up play was sublime to watch. I remember a belter against the Stingrays where Kashirsky flew up the left wing leaving defencemen is his wake, crunched to a halt just past the hash mark, spun around and flicked a pass backwards to centre ice where Sacchetti was waiting to take the pass and score. 

There were so many highlights that season which made last season even worse. There was always the danger of unrealistic expectations after winning the Gardiner Conference and finishing 3rd in the league and it was maybe always going to tough to follow but for it be as bad as it was made it even more frustrating as a Stars fan and refreshing almost everything this season was probably the best way to go.

FSB: What are your expectations for the season ahead?


DS: I’d like us to win the Conference but can’t see past the Clan for that this season with their 4 lines and ex NHLers and the like. So I’d be happy with us running them as close as possible then who knows, maybe they will bottle it again. There will be much more pressure on them to win it so that may give us the opportunity to just go about our business and sneak up on them. If we do that then our league position should be good enough to get a decent Play Off berth and I would love it if we could get past the quarter finals this year and make it to Nottingham for the finals weekend. 

There’s obviously a long way to go but we’ve had a positive start to the season and it looks like we have the makings of a good team who will have a good season. Overall, I’ll be happy if we compete every week, the team never gives up and the guys play for the badge on the front rather than the name on the back. If we do that, I’m confident we will get the results to take us where we want to be.

FSB: Finally, who do you think tonight's key players from both sides are and what will be the final score as a prediction?

DS: Firstly, I think you have to look at both goalies. Tyler Plante has some great numbers up already with a GAA of only 1.25 and a save percentage of 94.4 so he looks like he is very tough to beat and the Stars forwards will need to be on top form to get something past him. Our own netty, Vlasto Lakosil, has got off to a good start too. 93.3 save percentage and a GAA of 2.14. Interestingly, Lakosil has faced more than double the shots Plante has despite playing only 2 games more. That could be a worry for the Stars as giving the Steelers forwards that many opportunities may not end well.

Mosienko and Roy look like danger men already for the Steelers this season with 4 goals each in 4 games. If Roy gets anywhere near his points total from last season then lots of goalies are going to suffer and defences will need to bring their A game to keep him quiet.

For the Stars, apart from Clarkson who we’ve mentioned already, Leinweber and Dickenson are combining well already and have a point per game average each already and are proving dangerous. Assistant Coach, Bobby Chaumont is hot on their heels and is our resident poacher. He loves lurking on the doorstep and if anything gets through to him, he will bury the puck. Whatever happens, it promises to be a great game. I’ll go for a 4-2 win for the Steelers with an ENG right at the end to seal it for Sheffield.

On behalf of FSB, we thank Dave for his participation. Cheers Dave for your detailed answers!

Thanks for reading guys. If you want to get involved please contact us on twitter or find us on Facebook and like us and leave a comment:-

@FrozenSteelBlog

@TomWalkeden

@FrozenSteelMNL

@hockeybhoy

Check out the Frozen Steel Podcast

Check out the Frozen Steel Match Night Talk Show

Or Email the team at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com

Five Things from the Week Ending 20 September

Thank you to Tony for his contribution to FSB, All Credit for this piece goes to him so any queries you can contact Tony on Twitter @DISGU15ED.

Another five things we learnt this weekend...

1> Referee farce in Belfast - regardless of what Dean Smith might tell you, there's always overtime and penalty shots in the Elite League competitions. Shame that mistake was picked up by the BBC on one of their rare Ice Hockey blogs, but at least he came out on Twitter to apologise.

2> Hope you all joined in during the 21st minute – The Amy chant from RTB and others was a nice touch from the fans, and the heart and name logo in the ice shows the club still remembers.

3> Top of the Netminding League - The big man is rocking with a SAV% of 94.4% and two shutouts in four games. Add that to the Steelers having the fewest shots against at 22.5 (>26 for our rivals) then you can see why Plante’s posting an early-doors 1.25 GAA.

4> Bottom of the Elite League - Let’s hope we continue our recent form into our first league game on Saturday because we’re currently outside the play-off places! Having said that we’re still +10 over the Capitals who sit absolute bottom on goal difference.

5> Prize asset or Prize Clown? – After warming the penalty box too much for my liking in the first month, I had begun to see bits in Fitzy’s game that impressed, but that enthusiasm dissipated again on Saturday. Too busy trying to make a point to Valabik after the play, he ended up being conned into a penalty and denied us some extra PP time in the second. Hope Thommo’s on his case because the big man can play a bit too.

Storm watch – 7:2 loss against the Panthers, then close against the Devils (with Mike Will in net) until they conceded 4 in last 12 minutes to lose 8:6. #blueskysoverhead

One final thing to leave you with - did you notice the Panthers lost to the team we've just put nine past without reply. Try not to laugh, I'm sure there was a good excuse!

Thanks for reading guys. If you want to get involved please contact us on twitter or find us on Facebook and like us and leave a comment:-

@FrozenSteelBlog

@TomWalkeden

@FrozenSteelMNL

@hockeybhoy

Check out the Frozen Steel Podcast

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Or Email the team at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com

Frozen Steel 2015/16 - Meet The Team

On November 19th 2013 FSB was born. We've made a lot of friends to get where we are today and maybe an enemy or two but we're incredibly proud of what we have achieved.

Frozen Steel was started by Liam McCausland for a way to write about hockey mostly the Sheffield Steelers but Liam left the blog at the start of February 2014 leaving Tom and Alan to go it alone. Since then the reins have passed on again as you can see below.

From that, we've tried a few things: a Webshow (not sure when or if it will ever be back), A forum (which has now been deleted) A podcast and a talk show. We've also created a live update account, and have managed to reach 1,700+ followers on Twitter and 150+ likes on Facebook. Add into that 76,000+ page views, and its fair to say that we've done more than we ever imagined we would.

Mark Duell @hockeybhoy

EDITOR and Podcast pundit Mark is probably one of the most experienced hockey fans on the FSB team. He watched the sport first of all at the age of 8 courtesy of a school trip to the then Billingham Bombers team where he lived nearby from. At 16, Mark moved to these parts and has been a Steeler since the Club's inception. He cites Jody Lehman, Dennis Vial and Joey Talbot has his personal favourites and sponsored the Canadian forward in his final season in 2011.

A massive New Jersey Devils fan when it comes to the NHL and an owner of over 40 plus hockey shirts; he could be classed as the proper hockey geek. Mark compiles "The Elite Report" where he reviews the week in the EIHL in his own unique style and writes the match reports as well as the majority of the articles that appear on the blog. Like Alan, isn't afraid to say what he thinks.

Alan Claringbold @FrozenSteelMNL or @AwkwardGinge

ALAN is the guy behind @FrozenSteelMNL which is our live updating account and as well as being a co-pundit on the Breaking The Ice podcast, He is the man who rants. Alan's Awkward Analysis pieces have become a key part of who we are. He doesn't pull punches - he tells it exactly how it is, whether you want to hear it or not.

With Mark, he will be the man behind the newly re-launched podcast "Breaking The Ice"

Tom Walkeden @TomWalkeden

TOM isn't currently contributing to the blog, but we hope that will change. He wrote about anything in Sheffield Hockey circles.

He's still a livetweeter from the majority of Steelers games and well worth a follow.

Tony supporting the Panther's 2014 CHL campaign

Tony @DISGU15ED

TONY re-joins the team for with his "5 Things" and an increasing role behind the scenes. Tony has watched the Steelers on and off since Tony Hand signed, and is a hockey fan first, Steelers fan second.

Robert Newbolt @steelersstats @newboltrobert

THE go-to guy for anything you may possibly want to know from days gone by, Robert will bring us This Month In Sheffield Steelers History, a history lesson for those of us (yours truly included) who have only recently found the club, or anyone who wants to refresh their memories. Robert rejoins us for his second season as FSB historian.


Other occasional contributions can be found from :

Phil Holden @PhilSlice
SIHA and NIHL Correspondent

ANOTHER experienced member of the team, Phil provides FSB with what is happening at Academy Level from the young 'uns to those plying their trade at NIHL level with Sheffield Spartans and Senators. A popular bloke, he has written a book on his adventures with the Spartans entitled "Honesty and Passion" which is a very interesting read. He is also the step-father of former Steeler and current Steeldogs captain Ben Morgan.

Jake Oakley and Roger Williams @SnapperJakeO and @ElGordoSteel
SteelDogs

Jake and Roger are our guys when it comes to the Steeldogs. Jake is the one who has a line in eye catching suits should you wonder who he is, and is a pretty decent photographer to boot. Roger provides us with match reports from Steeldogs games and we appreciate the efforts these guys put in.


If you want to get in touch or help out then email the blog directly at hockeybhoy71@outlook.com


So that's the team for the coming season.

Elite Report - w/e 13 September 2015

Week two of the season and still some strange results coming in. Certain teams are finding a winning groove, others less so. So how did we see it pan out?

Three teams had a four point weekend, Belfast, Braehead and Sheffield and each of will feel happy that they have made a decent start. After the shock defeat to Dundee in week one, Giants came back on the Saturday night to overcome a 2-1 deficit against newcomers Manchester to run out 6-2 winners and then inflict another loss on the Panthers 24 hours later in the fabulous NIC.

Fresh from their CHL adventures, both Braehead and Sheffield started their regular season very well. Clan blitzed both Fife and Edinburgh on successive nights, with Bari McKenzie and Scott Pitt very much to the fore. Steelers were in irrepressible form too, scoring 12 goals and conceding just the one. The 8-1 demolition of Cardiff would have certainly sent a clear message out to the league that Paul Thompson's team are not going to surrender the Montieth Bowl that easily.

Talking about that loss from a Cardiff perspective, they certainly did not see it coming especially after such a reasonable start but that penalty shot miss by Leigh Salters plus the breakaway chance moments later proved crucial. Steelers took control after that and Devils were left disjointed and chasing shadows that evening. They will be happy with the win over Nottingham though, former Panther Gui Doucet getting the game winner.

As for the Panthers, with Cam Janssen now on board, have the alarm bells started ringing already? One can only wonder. A squeaked penalty shots win in week one, and a couple of overtime losses in week two. Is Corey already feeling the heat? One can be only speculative but it's not the start that the Panthers faithful would have wanted. Two of last season's squad coming back to haunt them; Doucet and on the Sunday: Chris Higgins. They need a win or two to start building some confidence.

One team in need of a confidence boost for sure are newcomers Manchester. Two heavy defeats at the weekend with 13 goals conceded isn't a good sign especially when you led both games. However Omar Pacha will take positives from them and move forward. I still don't think they have their full roster in place either. It's gonna take this team some time to gel especially in the sense it was put together so quickly.

Dundee had a topsy turvy weekend as did Edinburgh. The Tayside team led 2-0 against the afore mentioned Caps but conceded four unanswered on home to slip to a 4-2 loss yet did the opposite in Manchester on the Sunday. Stars trailed 2-0 after 14 minutes but a late Riley Wetmore first period goal galvanised Marc LeFebvre's troops and inspired by a Doug Clarkson hat-trick: they ran out convincing winners on the Altrincham ice. Caps buoyed by that road win in Dundee, slipped to being shut out at home by Braehead on Sunday to complete their mixed bag weekend.

Coventry won't be happy with their result last Saturday night either, just like the Caps did on the Sunday - they experienced a similar event 24 hours earlier. A 4-0 home loss to the Steelers will have given Chuck Weber plenty to think about. A 5-1 home loss to Braehead will have equally given Fife some thoughts too, especially in front of a large home crowd and against a club that they relish beating. 

So that concludes my review of week two, back with week three soon..

 

Thanks for reading guys. If you want to get involved please contact us on twitter or find us on Facebook and like us and leave a comment:-

@FrozenSteelBlog

@TomWalkeden

@FrozenSteelMNL

@hockeybhoy

Check out the Frozen Steel Podcast

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Or Email the team at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com

The Sheffield Knights Take On Swiss Side Chaux De Fonds

Look At The European Game That Took Place At Queens Road (Skate Central) Between The Sheffield Knights And Chaux De Fonds On Saturday.

Saturday 12th September the Knights took on Swiss side Chaux De Fonds in a game that promised to be challenging for the players of both the Knights and the Lancers in which was a mixed squad announced by Head Coach David Grant.

I wont be going too much into the game because it would take forever. The game ended in a 21-0 defeat for the Sheffield Knights but lots of positives were taken out of the game by the Knights. David Grant has already said that the result was irrelevant because we knew we was going to lose it was about us getting some massively valuable experience. Chaux De Fonds didn't take their foot of the gas all nights and kept coming with everything they've got for the full 45 minutes but the Knights didn't give up they played until the final buzzer, didn't let their heads drops and gave it their all. The Score line may look bad from the outside but in our camp we have took so much out of that game which we will look to implement into our game to make us a better team.

You don't get any better by just playing teams at your level to improve you need to play the best available teams and that was certainly what we did and what we will also look to do in the future with further European trips. The knights want to become the best club possible and by doing that we do need to play these sort of teams more often.

19th September the G Casino Cup takes place at Simply Skate in Rotherham where the Knights have two teams taking part as well as Shaw Millionaires who are entering two teams and then the North East Dekstars who are coming down from Gateshead. There may be more teams involved but I'm not sure myself. If anyone would like to come down the tournament is schedule 9am till 5pm but will probably finish before, it is also free entry and after the Sheffield Steelers take on the Coventry Blaze at the Arena at 7pm if you wanted to hang about.

Last Saturday against Chaux De Fonds really was a learning curve and a great experience and really hope to be able to do it again in the future against them or other European teams. Every time I pull on the Knights jersey it is a proud moment for myself and I know the same can be said for all of my team mates. I was so proud how everyone played despite the score line because like I've already said the score line was irrelevant.

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Big Match Preview: Coventry (Home)

Just the single game for our Sheffield Steelers this weekend, Challenge Cup Group B action at the House of Steel. Our visitors: Coventry Blaze.

Chuck Weber's side come to Sheffield on the back of a 4-0 home drubbing last Saturday inflicted by the Steelers, and clearly will be out for some kind of redemption of their own. However, Steelers are a team with plenty of confidence of their own as they followed Saturday's blanking of the Blaze with a 8-1 hammering of Cardiff who had to up to that point, won all three of their group qualifiers.

Last Meeting: The two sides last met on the penultimate weekend of the season. Steelers won that one 2-0 thanks to goals from defencemen Cullen Eddy (who was on a hot streak of scoring) and Ben O'Connor. Brian Stewart made 33 saves for the Blaze, whilst Josh Unice recorded a 24 shot shutout (his fifth of the season). 

Links Between The Sides: The most noticeable link is of course current Steelers coach and general manager Paul Thompson. Thompson spent 20 seasons as coach of the Midlands side, picking up many pieces of silverware. Other players that have played for both sides include the evergreen veteran (and still playing this season) Ashley Tait, net minder Jody Lehman, former NHLer Steven Goertzen and current Steeler O'Connor.

Ben O'Connor: Has played for both Blaze and Steelers

Overall Record: The teams first played each other in 2003 in a game that doubled up as an Elite League and Challenge Cup game, Steelers won that particular encounter 3-2. Since then we have had 115 more games between us with the men in orange holding the advantage, 69 wins to 43 with 4 games being tied.

Can the Steelers make it number 70 on Saturday night?

The Players to Watch:

Levi Nelson (Steelers) - You thought I would be saying Mathieu Roy weren't you? Anyway, the former Boston Bruin draft pick has made an excellent start to the season since arriving in the summer. An excellent two way forward whose work ethic has already endeared him to the Steelers fans. If ever a player did deserve a goal, and get one, last Saturday then it was Levi. He looks so far to be over the injury that shortened his 2015 season, and is showing the qualities that won him a League and Cup double in Italy in 2013-14.

Brian Stewart (Blaze) - To win on Saturday night, Steelers again have to find a way past this absolute behemoth of a goalie. Stewart is a stellar nettie, and was probably one of the reasons why Blaze won the Play-Off Final, but there is a creak underneath his armour. Get into his head and he loses his marbles, and when he does do, it's hugely entertaining to witness. Playing him when his confidence is shot will give Steelers an excellent chance of making it three wins on the bounce.

Prediction: Both sides have recruited well, but Steelers have that bit extra. I can see them winning this one but it won't be as easy as last Sunday ended up being. If I had to hedge my thoughts on a score, I'd probably and say 5-2 Steelers. 

Footnote: When Ben O'Connor played for Coventry, he wore 61 as opposed to 81 which he wears here.

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Academy and NIHL Update - 13 September 2015

Thank you to Phil for his contribution to FSB, All Credit for this piece goes to him so any queries you can contact Phil on Twitter @PhilSlice

This weekend saw SIHA’s two senior teams, Spartans & Senators, go toe to toe in an intriguing double header across at Ice Sheffield. Spartans will be looking to make the play-offs once again whilst Senators face a tough season ahead in the NIHL Moralee Conference after promotion last season from the Laidler Conference.

Ultimately class told in the end as Spartans bagged four points with two 7-1 victories to make a solid start to the season whilst getting two competitive games under the belt with almost a full roster after two short benched challenge games to warm up for what will be a tough season. Meanwhile Sens will have learned a lot from this weekend but they deserve credit for a markedly improved performance on Sunday from the previous night. It is however fair to say that neither team were at their best but Spartans fully deserved their two wins this weekend.

Sens were the home team on Saturday and Spartans had started the better but despite some good spells of pressure and possession they only had Elliott Knell’s goal to show for their efforts. The goal triggered a response from Senators who came more into the game and finish the stronger of the two teams in the closing stages and imagine that they will have been the happier of the two teams at the break.

Spartans stepped it up a few gears to dominate the second period with goals from Stuart Brittle, Will Barron, Tom Parkinson & Nick Manning making it 5-0 in their favour. Had it not been for the efforts of Mark Hartley in Sens goal the score line could have been far greater.

Senators came out a different team in the final period and made more of a game of things and pulled a well taken goal back through Nathan Britton. It was a lot more even this period with both teams creating chances but Spartans always looked the more likely to score which proved to be the case when Maros Stefanco & Will Barron making it 7-1 which was to be the final score resulting in a deserved victory for Spartans with Maros Stefanco picking up the Man of the Match beers whilst Jonny Bell was awarded it for Senators after a solid performance.

On Sunday it was Spartans privilege to be the home team and although the outcome was the same it came about in very different circumstances. Spartans were quick out of the blocks to race to a three goal lead through Ollie Barron with Maros Stefanco adding a brace. Sens weathered the storm and pulled it back to 3-1 with a nice goal from ex Spartan Alex Harding in his first season back with the Sens.

In the second period Spartans dominated proceedings but were struggling to turn that dominance into goals being guilty of missing several guilt edged chances. They were also made to work hard against a stubborn Senator rear-guard inspired by an outstanding performance between the pipes by Mark Hartley. However they couldn’t hold out as Spartans patience held out to see Ollie Barron & Nick Manning add two late goals to make it 5-1 at the end of the second period. 

Senators battled away with credit but ultimately were undone by some solid Spartans defending and two well worked & quick fire goals; the first from Will Barron with Stuart Brittle scoring an unassisted shorthanded goal to make it 7-1 to Spartans. Maros Stefanco was once again named as Spartans Man of the Match with Sergevs Jegorovs receiving the accolade for Senators.

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