The first of 3 back to back home/away weekends took place this weekend with the Sheffield Steelers taking on the Cardiff Devils. On Saturday The Steelers played there first ever game at Ice Arena Wales coming away with a 5-4 win in the Challenge cup group B game to guarantee the Steelers place in the quarter finals with 1 game to spare. On Sunday the Steelers would return home to the house of steel to do it again this time in elite league action unfortunately things didn't pan out as well on home ice. Andrew Hotham and Mark Richardson would give the Devils a 2-0 lead at th eend of the 1st period. 3 minutes into the 2nd period things got worse for the Steelers as Sean Bentivoglio would widen the gap. The Steelers needed to do something to get some life back into there game and Zach Fitzgerald stepped up to square off with Mark Louis for the second time this weekend with both times the Devil coming off the worse. The Steelers would respond as Robert Dowd would score a minute later however a 2nd goal for Bentivoglio and Guillaume Doucet would put the game out of reach by the end of the 2nd period. Dowd would go on to find the net again in the 3rd period to add a consolation but that would be it as the Devils would win 5-2
Final thoughts - The Steelers were missing 2 key players in Levi Nelson and Ben O'Connor this weekend with both of them out for the next few week I hope that Thommo will be bringing in a new player to cover.
Offence wins games but defence wins championships and with the exception of last weekend the Steelers defence has been shocking. If things don't seriously improve soon I fear the worst for this team
My man of the match - Zach Fitzgerald. Stepped up when the team and the fans need a boost.
Next up - A home/away weekend against the Fife Flyers including the raising of the elite league championship banner
