The Steelers first game of the 2016/17 elite ice hockey league season got underway yesterday with the visit of our rivals from across the pennines the Manchester Storm in the EIHL challenge cup group B. The Steelers last won the cup in 2003, the final season of the ice hockey super league era and will be hoping to end a 14 year hoodoo come this seasons challenge cup final at Ice Arena Wales on the 5th of March 2017 (the day after my birthday)
The campaign got off to a shaky start as the Storm took a 2-0 lead after 9 minutes Cody Cartier and Mark Heatley the scorers. The Steelers would pull a goal back as Mathieu Roy scored to make it 1-2 at the and of the 1st period. The 2nd period was all the Steelers as Roy scored his 2nd of the game to level the scores 3:11 into the second (The goal was credited to Roy as the puck had came off Storms player coach Omar Pacha's stick putting it in the net) A minute later the Steelers would take the lead as Tyler Mosienko scored to make it 3-2 and at the half way point of the game Mosienko would pick up on a rebound after Mike Ratchuk shot hit the post to score his 2nd of the game. The Steelers piled on the pressure as the Storms defence struggled to cope and if it wasn't for the Storms netminder pulling off some brilliant saves the Steelers could have gone into the final period with more then just a 2 goal lead. 4 minutes into the 3rd and the storm would pull a goal back Mark Trabucco making it 4-3. With 10 minutes to go the Storm were throwing everything they could at the Steelers including some punches as Zack Fitzgerald and Eric Neilson squared off followed a few minutes later by Guillaume Desbians and Dallas Ehrhardt. With 4:48 left on the clock Matt Bissonette would equalize for the Storm however 40 seconds later Levi Nelson would put the Steelers back into the lead and with the goalie pulled Mosienko would put the puck into the empty net for a hat trick, a 6-4 victory and 2 points in the challenge cup.
Not the best overall performance but still great to get a W in our 1st game of the season
My man of the match - Tyler Mosienko
Next up for the Steelers - Home to Red Bull Salzburg in what would look to be out final outing in the Champions Hockey League this season followed by 2 challenge cup game (Coventry (A) and Nottingham (H))
