Sheffield Steelers keep it simple to book place in Challenge Cup semi-finals
IN the end it was all quite simple.
There were all kinds of permutations prior to face-off in Sheffield Steelers’ final Challenge Cup Group A game at the Utilita Arena against Manchester Storm.
The visitors needed a win and to take five points from their last three group games in order to stand a chance of making the semi-finals.
They fell at the first hurdle, the Steelers ending their hopes of qualification, while ensuring their own progression, as well as that of Cardiff Devils and Guildford Flames, who will play the Elimination Game against whoever finishes runners-up in Group B to grab the fourth spot in the last four.
The hard work was effectively done inside the first 20 minutes, at the end of which the Steelers enjoyed a fully-deserved 4-1 lead.
There were a few nervous moments in the third – particularly when Manchester pushed back hard and thought they had made it 4-3 with a bizarre goal that saw the puck spiral up and over Steelers’ netminder Matt Greenfield and into the net after hitting a Steelers’ player’s skate.
But Steelers’ head coach Aaron Fox made a successful coach’s challenge which saw the goal ruled out for an offside earlier in the build-up, the Steelers going on to see the game out comfortably as 5-2 winners.
It didn’t take long for the Steelers to establish their superiority, Evan Jasper taking the puck below the goalline before finding Ryan Tait in front from where he beat Evan Weninger low to his left with just 4.35 on the clock.
Only 59 more seconds had elapsed before the Steelers were 2-0 ahead, Macoy Erkamps half-shot cannoning off Sean Collins in front and falling kindly for the unmarked Leevi Teissala who had all the time to pick his spot and fire past the stranded Weninger from the left circle.
It got even better just under two minutes later when Tait demonstrated his determination to ensure the Steelers would be in the semi-finals when he picked up the puck in the neutral zone and drove down centre ice before unleashing an unstoppable shot that beat Weninger before nestling in the top left-hand corner.
The Steelers then handed momentum back to Manchester when they handed them successive power plays, first Adam Rockwood for roughing and then, seconds after he came out of the box, Tim Gettinger for slashing.
It was moments after the Steelers had killed both off that Manchester got themselves back in the game, Stephen Johnson found all alone in the right circle from where he beat Matt Greenfield with a rising shot.
It wasn’t long, however, before the three-goal lead was restored, although there was a touch of luck involved when Gettinger was released by Olivier Archambault down the left.
His throw on net took a defelction off a Storm player and left the unfortunate Weninger totally stranded as the puck crept over the line at 16.44 to make it 4-1.
The second period was a rather tame affair by comparison and effectively over in a flash, Sean Collins and Tait coming closest to stretching the hosts’ lead, while Grenfield comfortably saw and dealt with everything that came his way at the other end.
From seemingly out of nowhere, the Storm handed themselves a chance when showed exceptional skill to bat the puck out of mid air and then drive towards the net from the right circle where he was able to life it past Greenfield and into the roof of the net to make it 4-2 at 44.46.
There was a touching moment soon after when the crowd spontaneously rose to give a standing ovation throughout the 47th minute in tribute to Adam Johnson, who tragically died three years previously while playing against the Steelers for the Nottingham Panthers in the Challenge Cup.
Soon after, the Storm bench rose as one when they thought they had made it a one-goal game after a fortuitous bounce saw the puck cannon off a Steelers’ skate and up and over Greenfield’s head before dropping over the line, only for Fox’s decision to challenge the goal proved justified.
That seemed to knock the wind out of Storm’s sails and their elimination from the Cup was complete when Juusola fired home in the 56th minute, the Steelers marching through to the semi-finals.