Big Match Preview - Challenge Cup Final

Saturday was Coventry, Sunday becomes the biggest game of the season so far. Are you ready, it's CHALLENGE CUP FINAL DAY!

After another arduous campaign, we've made the Final in Ice Arena Wales. It's a repeat of the 2015 Final; which we hosted remember; and against the opposition are:

The Elite League champions-elect as I tend to feel, lie in wait for us. They are as you know; pretty consistent in their performances and on home ice: tend to win more than they actually lose. But Cup Finals, even in any sport, are one off showdowns where actually anything could happen. Hockey is no difference whatsoever.

Gerad Adams, former Devils and Steelers coach, says it right: "Lesser players could step up in the Final". Players like your David Brine, who has done absolutely nothing all season points wise, could simply explode and take control from a Devils perspective. Likewise you could have the unsung Swede known as Yared Hagos from our side. All it takes though is a team mentality that they can go out there and win.

Atmosphere will be incredible, and we know how loud and noisy them Devils fans can be. It's as if they do act like that player on the ice, and I am sure the players feel that way. Depending on our physical encounter the night before, we know that Sunday is going to feel like climbing Everest. Everyone expects Devils to win, so do I sadly, but sometimes teams literally freeze on occasions and a shock happens. Just look the FA Cup and the exploits of non-league Lincoln City if you want to think it through.

The team is capable of ending the Challenge Cup drought, 2003 was the last time we won it and that was in the Super League era. History should fate us to win then right? If we play Cardiff like Cardiff play us, and make them feel pressurised then it could be a very happy trip back from South Wales. Play like we have played against Cardiff most of the season, then loss and despair beckons and that's the worst feeling in the world.

Prediction? As much as I would love us to win it, my heart is with the Devils to capture the first of their Grand Slam (yes Nottingham they're on course for it properly) trophies. It pains me to type this but Devils will win this by probably a score of 4-1. Prove me wrong boys!

 

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8.3.15 - Challenge Cup Final Talk Show

Challenge Cup Final between the Steelers and the Devils and Tom, Alan and Mark talk on the Talk Show about the game. Please note we have no Post Game with the way the game went we didn't get round to doing it so apologies.

listen to ‘8.3.15 Steelers vs Devils CC Final Pre-game’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘8.3.15 Steelers vs Devils CC Final End of First’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘8.3.15 Steelers vs Devils CC Final End of Second’ on audioBoom

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Match Report: 8.3.2015 - Steelers v Devils CC

Sunday 8^th March 2015 – Sheffield Steelers (9-2-1) v Cardiff Devils (10-2-0) @ Motorpoint Arena. Face-off: 4pm, Challenge Cup Final

Sheffield Steelers – 1
Cullen Eddy – 3^rd

Cardiff Devils – 2
Andrew Lord – 2^nd PP
Chris Culligan – 2^nd

First piece of silverware of the season up for grabs and the game was between the Steelers and the Devils it was a fairly even first period with both Ben Bowns and Josh Unice playing outstanding as both teams seemed to be playing with some nerves not wanting to give up the first goal or make a mistake. It was all square at the end of the 1^st period but Jeff Legue gifted the Devils with a penalty with a pointless spear which was called as a slash which would force the Steelers to start the 2^nd on the penalty kill.

End of the 1st Period: Sheffield Steelers 0–0 Cardiff Devils

Shots on Goal: Steelers 7-9 Devils

In the 2^nd Period Cardiff started on the power play and would make it count at 21:07 Andrew Lord found himself in possession of the puck in front of goal and managed to find the shooting lane before firing low down past Josh Unice to give Cardiff a 1-0 lead. It wouldn’t take long to make it 2-0 when at 22:55 Devils fired the puck around Unice’s goal before Trevor Hendrikx fired a one timer from the blue line for Chris Culligan to tip it under the arm of Josh Unice a goal the Steelers netminder will definitely want back. It could have been 3-0 Joey Haddad found himself with plenty of time and space in front of goal but Unice made a big body save to deny him. Steelers tried pushing hard but Ben Bowns just didn’t look like he was going to beaten and he helped his team take a 2-0 lead into the 2^nd interval.
End of the 2nd Period: Sheffield Steelers 0–2 Cardiff Devils

Shots on Goal: Steelers 7–8 Devils

Into the third period and the Steelers came out with somewhat something to prove and they was throwing everything at Ben Bowns and Cardiff but the Devils weren’t letting them through easy and made it difficult for the Steelers to break them down it took until 52:38 for the Steelers to break the shut out with Devils just managing to kill a penalty off the draw Cullen Eddy had the puck on the blue line and he fired a wicked slap shot through traffic that beat Bowns glove side to bring the Steelers within one goal. Sheffield pulled Unice with the clock ticking down for the extra attacker they took their time-out but Cardiff stood strong and held on to win the 2015 Challenge Cup 2-1.
Shots on Goal: Steelers 12–5 Devils

FINAL SCORE: Sheffield Steelers 1–2 Cardiff Devils

Boxscore (1st-2nd-3rd-OT-[PIM]-{PP}-S)

Sheffield - 0-0-1-0-[4]-{0/2}-26

Cardiff    - 0-2-0-0-[4]-{1/2}-22

Sheffield Points Round Up: - 1 Points
Cullen Eddy (1+0)

Cardiff Points Round Up: - 6 Points

Carl Hudson (0+1), Josh Batch (0+1), Chris Culligan (1+0), Andrew Lord (1+0), Trevor Hendrikx (0+1), Joey Martin (0+1)

Referee: #27 Mike Hicks

Referee: #9 Tom Darnell

Linesman: #25 Andy Dalton

Linesman: #23 Lee Young

I'm also playing in the UK Forum All-Stars 2015 in Sheffield representing the Blue Cross for a second year in a row and any donations big or small will be appreciated and you can donate by pressing the button to the right.

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Weekend Preview - Giants (h) Devils (n)

Biggest weekend of the season so far for the Steelers as they take on the Giants at the Arena on Saturday before facing the Cardiff Devils in the Challenge Cup Final in a “neutral” venue at the Motorpoint arena on Sunday

No New Injury worries for the Steelers they will still be without Doyle and Woolhouse and Gord Baldwin is out after suffering a concussion at Hull, other than that everyone is available and expect it to be a massive weekend for the men in orange.

Conference and League Match. Belfast Giants are near enough full strength, Westgarth is said to be back and there has been word spreading around social media that Stephen Murphy might be back and if that is true then there is a choice between Murphy and Carsen Chubak. They have more than their quota on imports so the question is who will be sat.

Challenge Cup Final. Cardiff Devils are going to be without Jesse Mychan who has been missing for several weeks but the Devils have 13 imports on their roster so they won’t be shorthanded.

On Saturday there will be a webcast for the game with the Giants which you can order at https://sheffieldsteelers.tv/ but the Cup Final as far as I’m aware there isn’t going to be a webcast but that may change you never know and Premier Sports definitely aren’t at the game. Tom and Alan will be at both games so don’t forget to follow them @TomWalkeden and @FrozenSteelMNL for play by play updates.

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Challenge Cup Final Preview

Sunday is the first big date of the 2014-15 season since the puck was dropped to start the season way back in September 2014. The first piece of silverware (Braehead's Gardiner Conference title excepted) is to be handed out. It's the Challenge Cup Final, and after spending the last five seasons in Gary Moran's Nottingham office, a new name is to appear on it. Is it going up the M1 to sit with Tony Smith and his Steelers organisation or will Todd Kelman and the revitalised Cardiff Devils take it down to South Wales?

CC Final - The Right Choice!!

Better late than never I suppose its about time the challenge cup final became a one game affair! as its been a two legged final for awhile now and basically since it became two legged Sheffield haven't won it! So on our behalf maybe its an even better thing.

But seriously though now if you look at any other sports with two legged round you will find that the final of that competition is nearly always just the one game because of the top of my head I cant think of any two legged finals in other sports at the moment.

So as of the 2014/2015 season the challenge cup format will continue as a the two group stages with Belfast, Braehead, Dundee, Edinburgh and Fife in Group A and Cardiff, Coventry, Hull, Nottingham and Sheffield in Group B that will see the top four from both groups qualify for the quarter finals which will be a two legged round with each team playing one game home and one game away and the winners of them games will go onto the semi-final which is also going to be a two legged round the same as the previous round and then for next season and I'm guessing for the seasons after as well the final is going to be held at Sheffield's Motorpoint Arena no matter who is in the final it will be played their and next season the final is set of Sunday 8th March with no other games being scheduled for that day so all focus can be on the final and in my opinion that's how it should be because not only will it allow the league to put money else where but it will also allow the league to make a big fuss about the cup final.

I was looking on social media earlier today (28th March the day of the announcement) and noticed several fans including Nottingham fans moaning about Sheffield hosting the final who thinks it should be permanently in Nottingham but at the end of the day they host the entire playoff finals weekend and I think just that there settles the argument itself!

So come on then guys what is every ones views? get in touch with me and I'll publish the best ones!!

(Email me at Tomwalkeden@Gmail.com)

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Let's Go Steelers!

Tom
@TomWalkeden
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