SHEFFIELD UK – The Sheffield Steelers had just the one game this past weekend as they travelled to take on the Nottingham Panthers. A capacity crowd on Valentine’s Day saw the Steelers secure their first victory in the National Ice Centre this season, a 3-2 score-line in favour of the visiting team.
In attendance were Steelers players of old, Jody Lehman, Steve Munn, Scott Basiuk and Randy Dagenais. The former rear guard, from the 2008/2009 double winning season, in attendance for Mark Thomas’s testimonial events this week, looked on as the Steelers put in arguably the best performance of the season. 
The Steelers, started with the impressive Josh Unice in goal as Frank Doyle and Dustin Kohn both sat out the game due to their ongoing injury problems. Unice, who has been in great form since signing in Sheffield as injury cover, is going to give coach Gerard Adams a selection headache once Doyle returns to full fitness.
The first period was a cagey affair with both teams creating chances with the Panthers slightly out shooting the visitors. Each teams had a powerplay but neither could convert, Nottingham struggling all night on the man advantage while Sheffield would capitalise on theirs at the most crucial time.
As the teams started the second period, with neither team troubling the scoreboard, fans from both teams rose in the 21st minute to sing the name of Sheffield Steelers fan Amy Usher, in support of her recent news and battle against a long-standing illness, a great show of solidarity by the Hockey family.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 27th minute, which created two talking points in a matter of seconds. First off, Guillaume Doucet gave the Panthers the lead, finishing nicely on Josh Unice as he strode around the Netminder’s crease and slotted under his legs. In the ensuing celebration, Gord Baldwin and Robert Farmer became tangled up and the gloves came off, with both combatants, giving a good showing but it was Steelers defenceman edging the bout.
The Steelers looked for a way back into the game and at the fourth attempt, their powerplay clicked, with the Panthers Chris Higgins sitting on a two minute hooking penalty. Ben O’Connor finished well on a great passing move with Mathieu Roy and Mike Forney. O’Connor skated in at the back door and finished well for his fifth goal of the season.
Towards the end of the second period, Steelers Jason Hewitt received a two minute penalty for elbowing. It gave the Panthers a chance to re-gain the lead on the powerplay but it was the Steelers who took advantage, scoring a shorthanded breakaway, courtesy of Mathieu Roy. The Amos, Quebec native sprung clear and finished well on Modig, giving him no chance in the Panthers goal.
A tense start to the third period as the Steelers were looking to hold on to the lead for a vital victory. The pressure finally counted though for the Panthers as Greg Jacina equalised in the 48th minute. Robert Farmer sending a pass across the crease that went through two Steelers defenceman and ended up on the stick of Jacina who coolly slotted home.
So far this season the Steelers performances in the National ice Centre haven’t been to the required level where they could secure victory and you would have been forgiven at this point for thinking it would be the Panthers who would go on to grab the two points.
The Steelers though thought otherwise and completed one of their most accomplished performances of the season. As Bryan Schmidt sat on a two minute boarding penalty, much to the dismay of the Panthers players, Tomas Petruska re-directed a Mike Forney shot into the Nottingham goal in the 57th minute and sent the visiting supporters into wild celebration.
The clocked ticked down and the final buzzer went and it was clear the players and fans from the Steelers enjoyed this victory, a result sending them closer to leaders Braehead Clan in the EIHL title race.
Next up for the Steelers, is the Nottingham Panthers again in the first leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final at the Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, 19th February, 7.30pm face-off.
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