Welcome to the match report of the latest Sheffield Steelers game.
After recording their third win in a row, Steelers headed into their final regular season against local rivals Manchester full of confidence. With results going their way last night, Saturday, Steelers knew that a win in the Storm Shelter would be good enough to secure third place in the final standings. It was same again as regards the team selection, which meant John Armstrong continued his comeback and Brad Day once more started in goal ahead of Ervins Mustukovs. Was this a sign that "Moose" was being kept fresh for the play-off series? Well it certainly hinted at that. Storm, who of course are coached by former Steeler Ryan Finnerty, suffered an unexpected home reverse on Saturday by Coventry but were at full strength bar Shane Bakker.
Steelers made the best start possible, with a goal in the first 95 seconds. The third line produced dividends, Tim Wallace and Armstrong with the set up and Matt Marquardt then letting rip with a one timer that rocketed past Mike Clementè. It was the power forward's 27th of the season and snapped an eight game goal drought. The lead was doubled just after the halfway point of the period and it was the man in form, Eric Neiley, who scored goal number two. Picked out by Colton Fretter, the American winger made no mistake and finished well for his 10th of the season. Steelers continued to rack up the chances, but Storm made it a one goal game at 16:27 when Andrew McKinney netted after Dallas Ehrhardt had set him up. And how that was the opening period finished.
Day was called upon to make a series of important saves as the Storm pressed for parity but he was proving more than equal to the task whilst the offence looked for a third goal to restore the two goal lead. They just did at 24:41, and who else but that man Neiley with it for his 11th of the season. With the form he is in now, he's certainly making the right sounds to be part of the 2018-19 roster. It got better for the Steelers with just over three and half minutes left in the middle period when they added a fourth on the counter attack with a rare Tim Wallace strike; only his 7th goal of the season. Storm again needed a lift to give themselves open and with 1:48 to go in period two, scored their second of the night. It was a goal that last season would have been feted in Braehead as Scott Pitt finished from Matt Beca.
Could the Steelers see out the game in the final period and clinch a four point weekend plus that third placed finish? Again Storm put the pressure on but Steelers were standing tall in defence whilst dominating their hosts at the other end of the ice. They deservedly then scored a fifth goal at 46:33, Ben O'Connor scoring his third goal of the weekend on the Steelers' powerplay and a 20th goal of the season. Further chances came the Steelers way as they looked to really put the Storm to the sword, Clementè denying Neiley a hat-trick goal when the winger got in behind the home defence shorthanded. The home side kept trying to break through but every time they were thwarted by the impressive Day who was having another great game when given the opportunity.
The game ended 5-2 in the Steelers favour, and a third place finish for Paul Thompson's team after a season of many ups and downs. They now face former Steeler Geoff Walker and the Guildford Flames in the play-off quarter final after the Surrey side defeated Coventry Blaze 5-3 in the Sky Dome to secure 6th place ahead of Fife who tumbled into 7th. A place in the play-off final four in Nottingham awaits the victor of this two-legged encounter.
Day was called upon to make a series of important saves as the Storm pressed for parity but he was proving more than equal to the task whilst the offence looked for a third goal to restore the two goal lead. They just did at 24:41, and who else but that man Neiley with it for his 11th of the season. With the form he is in now, he's certainly making the right sounds to be part of the 2018-19 roster. It got better for the Steelers with just over three and half minutes left in the middle period when they added a fourth on the counter attack with a rare Tim Wallace strike; only his 7th goal of the season. Storm again needed a lift to give themselves open and with 1:48 to go in period two, scored their second of the night. It was a goal that last season would have been feted in Braehead as Scott Pitt finished from Matt Beca.
Could the Steelers see out the game in the final period and clinch a four point weekend plus that third placed finish? Again Storm put the pressure on but Steelers were standing tall in defence whilst dominating their hosts at the other end of the ice. They deservedly then scored a fifth goal at 46:33, Ben O'Connor scoring his third goal of the weekend on the Steelers' powerplay and a 20th goal of the season. Further chances came the Steelers way as they looked to really put the Storm to the sword, Clementè denying Neiley a hat-trick goal when the winger got in behind the home defence shorthanded. The home side kept trying to break through but every time they were thwarted by the impressive Day who was having another great game when given the opportunity.
The game ended 5-2 in the Steelers favour, and a third place finish for Paul Thompson's team after a season of many ups and downs. They now face former Steeler Geoff Walker and the Guildford Flames in the play-off quarter final after the Surrey side defeated Coventry Blaze 5-3 in the Sky Dome to secure 6th place ahead of Fife who tumbled into 7th. A place in the play-off final four in Nottingham awaits the victor of this two-legged encounter.
Time for the statistics:
Goals: Storm 2 Steelers 5
Steelers Scoring: Marquardt 1+2, Neiley 2+0, Wallace 1+1, Fretter 0+2, Armstrong 0+2, O'Connor 1+0, Matheson 0+1, Westerling 0+1.
Storm Scoring: Pitt 1+0, McKinney 1+0, Ehrhardt 0+1, Beca 0+1.
Shots On Goal: Steelers 36 Storm 31
Powerplay: Steelers 1 from 5 (20% conversion), Storm 0 from 6 (0% conversion)
Penalty Minutes called: Steelers 12 Storm 10
Steelers Goaltender Stats: Day 29 Saves (130), GAA: 2.00 (2.46), Save Percentage: 93.50% (92.20%).
Man of the Match: Eric Neiley (Steelers), Andrew McKinney (Storm)
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