Wednesday 16th November 2011
The Sheffield Steelers' Challenge Cup hopes remained in place after a 2-1 home victory over the Hull Stingrays on Sunday evening.
The win means that further victories against Coventry (10th Dec) and Cardiff (23rd Dec) will ensure a semi final place for Ryan Finnerty's side.
Colt King scores the first Steelers goal v Hull Stingrays
Steelers looked comfortable with a first period goal from Colt King doubled by a R G Flath strike in the middle session. The Stingrays hit back with a controversial goal at the end of the second period. It seemed like the puck was kicked in by Andrew McKinney but Referee Neil Wilson was unsighted and allowed the goal.
It meant an uncomfortable final period for the Steelers, knowing that only a victory would ensure semi final progression remained in their own hands.
Player assistant coach Ashley Tait said "That was more like the real Steelers. I thought we played well all night. We created many scoring chances, the score didn't really show the real story of the game. Hull were playing without any pressure and they played well, they competed and put us under the cosh for periods.
"We stood tall and I always felt were in control. The final period was nervous just because you know you can't concede. We knew that a win meant the cup hopes remaining in our own hands. You play a little tighter knowing that."
24 hours earlier the Steelers went down 1-0 to the Nottingham Panthers with David Clarke scoring the only goal of the encounter
Steelers Head Coach Ryan Finnerty thought the Steelers did enough to win the game and put much of the blame for not doing so on his own shoulders, "We took stupid penalties, especially in the middle period. We lost control. I lost control, both on the ice and in controlling my bench. How can I demand discipline off my players when I didn't show it myself. I let them, the team and myself down. I learnt a lot about coaching in those heated situations on Saturday and it won't happen again.
"When we arrived back in Sheffield, I gathered the team together for a meeting and I apologised to them. This was a game we should have won, we played so well when we were 5 on 5.
"The penalty killing took it out of us. You can't give Nottingham 7 or 8 power plays. They are always going to score if you keep giving them the advantage. Our penalty killers were amazing and to allow just the one power play goal was an incredible achievement."
Nottingham Next at Home on Sunday
The Steelers entertain the Nottingham Panthers on Sunday 20th November, face off 5pm.
The Steelers trial the Panthers by 4 points but do have 5 games in hand.
The Panthers have had the upper hand over the Steelers in the two Challenge Cup games and one league encounter so far this season losing all three games
Defenseman Chad Huttle believes that Sundays game will see a halt to the Panthers recent success, "The fist two games against Nottingham were a disaster," he says "On Saturday we were the better team. We dominated large passages of the play and we deserved to win. We just shot ourselves in the foot with the penalties. We knew walking back into the room that we had let a game go, let 2 points go. We also knew that we had put the Nottingham hoodoo behind us.
"Every player in our room knows we have enough to beat Nottingham. It's time we stopped telling people that though and started showing them on the ice. Sunday is a great opportunity to do that in front of our own fans. They will have doubts that we can beat Nottingham. I can tell you that there aren't any doubts inside our team."
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