PHN’s Best Shots of the Game: Steelers move through after whitewash of Clan

SHEFFIELD – Sheffield Steelers secured progression through to the 2019/20 Challenge Cup progression following a 4-0 scoreline in the second leg of the semi-finals versus Glasgow Clan.

After taking a four-goal lead in the first leg away at the Clan, Sheffield needed a professional second leg performance to smoothly confirm qualification.

Without the injured Anthony DeLuca and Josef Hrabal, Aaron Fox’s side came into the game on the back of two league victories on the weekend.

The game began with the Steelers on the front foot and it seemed the early message was to bombard the Clan goal with Patrick Killeen returning for his first game in a couple of weeks.

Killeen stood strong and steered aside all 13 shots sent his way as Nikolai Lemtyugov attempted to recreate his Sunday heroics.

Big John Armstrong was lurking at the back post but for a second time on the night Killeen pulled off a sensational save to keep the score at 0-0.

In fact, this was very much the story for the opening twenty minutes as neither side hit the back of the net.

It wasn’t until the 27th minute that the Steelers sent the 7,000+ crowd to their feet for the first time, as Lucas Sandstrom, on the power play got things going.

A well-worked goal as Troncinsky found Armstrong who was parked behind the goal line and his one-time pass set up Sandstrom who slammed the puck home.

Just like buses, two goals came in quick succession and it was Sandstrom again who found a way past Patrick Killeen.

Ben O’Connor found Michael Davies down the right-wing and his cross-crease pass to Sandstrom allowed the Swede to tip home (29:51).

As the tie seemed to have been all but secured, Sheffield did just enough to keep control of the game.

The performance of the Clan side was dogged, to say the least given the missing bodies on the bench through the long term injuries picked up.

Moments before the end of period two and Marco Vallerand added a Steelers third as he circled the net and fired high into the roof of the net (38:11).

There was to be little action in the opening to period three besides a few scuffles as Linden Springer and Matt Pufahl both had words to say to the Steelers bench.

Scoring was finished when John Armstrong was expertly found at the back post by Troncinsky and with Killeen sprawled on the ice, Army went top shelf from a tight angle to make it 4-0 (50:58)

Heading into the last period and as Duba remained strong in the goal which led the way to Will Kerlin making an appearance with just under ten minutes to go.

To go with Will’s ice time, youngsters Alex Graham and Cole Shudra had both played a blinder as the young Brits flanked captain Phillips to head up the Steelers fourth line.

James Bettauer went close to making it 5-0 as a pin-point Davey Phillips pass sprung Betsy onto a breakaway but his quick wrist-shot hit the bar.

And so it remained 4-0 on the night and the Steelers progressed to the final with an aggregate score of 9-1.
With Sheffield match report