Sheffield Steelers win at the double but Hull Seahawks endure miserable opening NIHL National weekend

On Saturday, the Steelers got their Cup campaign off to a fine start with a 5-2 win at home against Manchester Storm before hitting the road and making it two wins from three in the league with a comprehensive 7-1 victory at Dundee Stars.

After a goalless first period on Tayside, the game exploded into life with three goals in five minutes, Daniel Ciampini putting the Steelers ahead, Romans Semjonovs levelling before Martin Latal made it 2-1 to the visitors at 25.17.

Thereafter it was all Steelers, a Brett Neumann double making it 4-1 before Tomáš Pitule got in on the act at 48.57. Further strikes came from Scott Allen - on the power play - and Sebastien Piche.

The night before, defenceman Matthew Petgrave set the Steelers on their way at 4.12 and although Storm levelled through Jesper Ohrvall just over three minutes later, they were ahead by two goals come the end of the first, Adam Raška restoring their lead at 13.12, before Scott Allen converted on the powerplay at 18.48.

Defenceman Petgrave found the net again at 38.27 to make it 4-1, the points being secured early in the third by Daniel with Rya Barrow adding a consolation for the visitors.

It proved a forgettable NIHL National debut weekend for Hull Seahawks when they were hammered 12-0 by a rampant Swindon Wildcats on Saturday night.

Last night, Matty Davies’s under-strength team - still waiting for their two imports to arrive and missing captain Sam Towner and the player-coach himself - endured more misery when they went down 9-0 at home to Milton Keynes Lightning.

Leeds Knights carried their winning pre-season form into their opening night home opener against Telford Tigers, Grant Cooper (3) and Kieran Brown (2) leading the way to a 7-4 triumph, with Cole Shudra and Matt Haywood also getting on the scoresheet.

Last night at Raiders, the Knights ensured they enjoyed a maximum return from the weekend with a comfortable 6-2 win, the goals coming from Shudra (2), Brown (2), Cooper and Archie Hazeldine.

Sheffield Steeldogs took just one point from the weekend, that coming in a 4-3 loss in overtime at Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday.

The frustration would have been all too keenly felt on the bus ride home after Greg Wood’s team led 3-2 with just 36 seconds left, thanks to goals from Lee Bonner (2) and Jason Hewitt.

But the regulation win was snatched from their grasp by a Sean Norris strike before Liam Stewart sealed a man-of-the-match performance by completing his hat-trick strike in overtime.

On Sunday, the Steeldogs hosted a Swindon team no doubt full of confidence from their comprehensive thrashing of Hull the previous evening.

The Wildcats capping a fine opening weekend’s work with a 3-0 triumph at Ice Sheffield coming courtesy of goals from Tomasz Malasinski (2) and Chris Jones.