Big Match Preview: Cardiff (Away)

After the big game on Saturday night against the Panthers, the boys take the long bus trip to South Wales and Cardiff at the Big Blue Tent. It's the first of four league encounters with the Devils down here and promises to be another hard fought game.

Andrew Lord has assembled a very good roster indeed this season, again. He might have lost Matthew Myers back to Nottingham and Doug Clarkson to Dundee. However, he has brought in power forward Leigh Salters from Braehead and sniper Gui Doucet from Nottingham. With Ben Bowns backstopping a defence that still includes Tyson Marsh, once a Sheffield target, this is a very solid team. And notoriously hard to beat on their own ice.

Last Meeting: The last time the two sides met was on the first Sunday of the new season, just like it was 12 months previous. A Challenge Cup game saw the Devils jump into a 2-0 lead by the 10 minutes and every time that Steelers got within one goal, the home side immediately extended that two goal margin back. A late empty net goal from Jake Morrisette secured a 5-3 win on the night and sent the majority home very happy indeed.

Links Between The Sides: Many players have worn both the uniforms of the Devils and the Steelers. In fact Panthers aside, by my reckoning, the Devils and Steelers have shared a lot of players contracts over the years. Names that come to mind immediately include Vezio Sacratini, Tylor Michel, Gerad Adams (who has played and coached both teams), Phil Hill. GB and Steelers captain Jonathan Phillips is also in this list of names.

Jonathan Phillips (in GB colours here) has played for both clubs

Overall Record: The first encounter of these famous clubs took place in Cardiff as a Challenge game in November 1992. Devils won that one 16-5, somehow I can't see that score getting replicated on Sunday or at all. Since then the two teams faced off 179 more times, second only to the number of games played against the Panthers.

Steelers currently hold the advantage in those 180 games with 91 wins to their name whilst the South Wales outfit have 74 victories recorded. There have been 15 tied encounters and you have to go back to a pre-season game before the 2011-12 season to see that and that was also in Cardiff, a 2-2 draw.

The Players To Watch: Tyler Mosienko (Steelers) - The grandson of NHL Hall of Famer Bill has had a blistering start to his second season in Steelers colours. Prior to this Saturday night against Nottingham, "Mosi" has already lit the opposing team's lamp nine times and assisted on four. If that is not a sign of a player on top of his game then I do wonder what is. He is certainly proving to be a fan favourite and his "Eddys" are certainly worth watching, from paddling a canoe to moonwalking like Michael Jackson.

Gui Doucet (Devils) - Signed on a two year deal from Nottingham in the summer, the 29 year old sniper is one man you don't want to give chances to. Scorer of 50 goals in his dèbut EIHL with the sadly departed Hull Stingrays, Gui added a further 19 (including 2 in the post season) during a short spell in Pantherland. He certainly knows where the net is so will be a player we will need to keep a close eye on.

Game Prediction: Devils, as stated at the start, are very hard to beat in the BBT. We have had some success there in the past so it is not beyond us to win there. However with their passionate "Red Army" support behind them, and the small confines of the rink there, I expect Cardiff to come out on top Sunday night but we will push them hard. Devils to win 4-3 after overtime. Let's hope the "ice" is better and resembles a decent playing surface this time too. 

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