Continental Cup: Steelers settle for bronze in Grenoble

With hosts Grenoble losing the final game of the competition, Dave Matsos's short-benched side were guaranteed third place, despite losing their final game 4-1 against Yunost Minsk yesterday.

After opening their campaign with a 5-2 win over the hosts on Friday night, Steelers could not maintain the momentum, first finding themselves on the wrong end of a 6-1 scoreline to eventual winners Red Bull Salzburg, before Sunday's defeat to their opponents from Belarusian opponents.

Watch highlights of Steelers' 4-1 defeat to Minsk by going HERE

In all three games, Steelers came up against opponents boasting bigger rosters, which meant it was always going to be an uphill struggle.

On Sunday, it was Yunost opened the scoring at 7.32 through Maxim Slysh on the other side, who shot the puck into an empty net, although it was Steelers who enjoyed the greater possession – albeit without much penetration – out-shooting their opponents 12-11 in the first.

Once again, Steelers were up against a side with more players available to them – on this occasion four – and their ability to change lines on a more regular basis than Matsos's side paid off midway through the second period, when Alexei Baranov scored on his own rebound at 30.42.

Four minutes later, Oleksandr Materukhin, after a pass from Alexander Borovkov, made it 3-0 at 34.13 following an odd-man rush before Baranov grabbed his second at 35.57.

Sheffield scored a consolation goal at 54.34 seven seconds into a powerplay when Matt Hubbauer, fed by Robert Dowd, fired home.

Despite being disappointed with aspects of his side's two defeats, Steelers' head coach Matsos was full of pride in his players.

"We made some mistakes that cost us badly in the two games we lost out here," said Matsos.

"However, when you look back you can't have anything other than a huge sense of achievement in what we did just being out here.

"We came over here with many questioning our right to take part in an event like this. But we turned some heads, we acted with great professionalism and we come home with our heads held high and with a great deal of pride."

Steelers are expecting to be announce a new signing sometime on Monday.

Club GM, Mike O'Connor, said paperwork should be resolved in time for the new arrival to line-up for Steelers in Thursday's Elite League clash against Edinburgh Capitals at Sheffield Arena.

"we don't expect any last minute problems, I think it will be all signed and sealed on Monday," said O'Connor.

Saturday, January 16

SHEFFIELD STEELERS couldn't follow up their opening night heroics in the Super Final of the Continental Cup when they went down 6-1 to Red Bull Salzburg on day two in France.

Head coach Dave Matsos's side had got off to the perfect start on Friday when they defeated hosts Grenoble 5-2 with goals from Jeff Legue, Jonathan Phillips, Matt Hubbauer, Robert Farmer and Jason Hewitt.

On Saturday, goaltender Andrew Verner kept out 49 shots but was powerpless to prevent Steelers crashing to defeat against a strong Austrian outfit who, following hosts Grenoble only managing a 3-2 shoot-out win against 2007 winners Yunost Minsk, were crowned 2010 champions before the final round of games on Sunday.

Steelers can clinch a creditable second-place finish on Sunday afternoon if they defeat Minsk - who also lost to Salzburg on the opening day.

Only Hubbauer got on the scoresheet against the well-resourced Austrians, rifling home past David Leneveu in the fifth minute to cancel out Kelsey Wilson's powerplay opener at 3.40 with Mark Thomas in the penalty box on an interference call.

Watch highlights of Steelers' defeat to Salzburg by going HERE

Salzburg restored their lead at 15.21 through Daniel Welser - again on the powerplay with Hubbauer on a tripping penalty - and made it a two-goal game at 17.44 through Manuel Latusa.

It was another powerplay goal which effectively killed the game off at 27.07 when Latusa took advantage of Farmer's hooking penalty to make it 4-1.

Two goals in just over a minute sank Steelers' hearts even further when Welser's second of the game at 34.15 was followed by Marco Pewal's strike at 35.35.

Steelers were stretched throughout the game - not surprising given Salzburg's deeper roster - and instead of concentrating on finding a way back into the game during the third period, found themselves hit by a succession of soft penalties to leave them killing off a number of 5-on-3 situations.

Afterwards, Steelers GM, Mike O'Connor, paid tribute to his players who he felt had to contend with some questionable officiating.

"Some of the penalties we deserved, but others had us shaking our heads," said O'Connor. "When you are short benched as much as we were you are always going to be up against it.

"They have such a big bench, such a big budget and such good players. We are disappointed at some of the calls that were made against us, it made an already tough job even harder.

"Our players worked so hard but seemed up against everything and everyone from the get go but we're in with a shout of getting a silver medal and we'll die trying to get it - it's a huge opportunity for the club and our league to make a mark on European hockey."

Friday, January 15

SHEFFIELD STEELERS got their bid to become the first-ever British winners of the Continental Cup off to the perfect start when they defeated hosts Grenoble Brleurs de Loups 5-2.

The opening period proved crucial after Steelers raced into a two-goal lead after just seven minutes through strikes from leading scorer Jeff Legue, at 4.32 and captain Jonathan Phillips at 6.21.

Watch video highlights of Steelers' win over Grenoble by going HERE

That's how it stayed until 22.48 when defenceman Viktor Wallin halved the deficit, enabling team-mate Damien Flury to score an equalising goal at 27.27.

But Steelers edged themselves in front again through Robert Farmer's first goal for the club at 32.20 and kept that lead until they established a two-goal cushion again seven minutes into the third through Matt Hubbauer, with Jason Hewitt adding an empty-net goal in the closing stages.

Steelers will now face Red Bull Salzburg who also got their Super Final bid off to a winning start earlier yesterday when defeating 2007 winners Yunost Minsk, from Belarus, 5-3.

Steelers head coach, Dave Matsos, said he wouldn't bet against his side springing another surprise on saturday against a much-fancied Austrian side.

"This was a fantastic result," he said.

"But against Salzburg we have to be tighter, more disciplined and we can't take a period off like we did last night.

"We need to iron some things out, but we have every chance of winning again, mark my words."

Captain Jonathan Phillips said a patient approach paid dividends for Steelers against the much-fancied hosts, who had a larger bench to work with than Steelers, icing four more players.

"We knew it was going to be a tight game, we had a defensive plan and took our chances," said Phillips.

"We have a patient team that didn't come to the tournament with expectations. Grenoble are a very fast and skilled team, we kind of had a lucky goal to make it 3-2 and that swung the momentum in our favour."

Matsos added: "We just wanted to keep it simple and take the chances we got, and that's what happened. We have a short bench, so we had to be smart and can't just go, go, go all the time."