Steeldogs hit back with maximum haul

It required a penalty shoot-out on home ice to edge out Bracknell 6-5 on Saturday before an overtime strike by Tom Squires clinched another two points in Shropshire last night.

Squires's winner - 43 seconds into the additional period - saw him complete a deserved hat-trick against Telford with Nicky Lewis also on target for Matt Darlow's determined youngsters.

On Saturday, Peter Vaisanen put Steeldogs ahead at IceSheffield, before Edgar Bebris doubled the advantage in the 18th minute. But the visitors were level before the end of the opening period through goals from Michal Pinc and Valdemar Pelikovsky.

Only a few seconds into the second, things got better for Bracknell when Jaroslav Cesky gave them the go-ahead goal at 20.25.

Stuart Brittle levelled for Sheffield before the Bees again edged ahead through Sam Waller at 31.24, although Lloyd Gibson struck at 34.21 to cancel out the lead again.

A Jaroslav Cesky goal at 56:55 seemed to have handed a welcome road win to Bracknell but Brittle was once again in the right place at the right time to take the game into overtime when he grabbed his second of the night at 58.03.

With Ben Bowns standing firm in the Steeldogs' goal, penalty shots were required and, on the seventh round of shots, Shaun Ashton popped up to score the crucial game-winning strike.

Week 1 - Monday, September 20

SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS endured a difficult start to their English Premier League campaign with defeats to Slough Jets and Guildford Flames.

In their home ice opener against Guildford on Sunday evening, Matt Darlow's young side got off to the perfect start when they took a 3-0 lead into the first interval after goals from Edgars Berbis, Peter Vaisanen and Mark Turner.

But the visitors were level by the end of the second through goals from Ben Campbell, Lukas Smital and Jez Lundin. They then hit four goals in a six-minute rampage in the third to put paid to the Steeldogs' hopes of picking up their first points of the season.

On Saturday, Slough opened the scoring through former Steelers' forward Doug Sheppard at 9.59. Darius Pliskauskas fired past netminder Ben Bowns to make it 2-0 at 17.27 before Sheppard grabbed his second of the night, this time shorthanded, less than a minute later.

Tom Squires reduced the arrears at 21.29 and there was no further scoring until Adam Greener made the points safe for the Jets at 49.07.