Sheffield Steelers 3-2 Coventry Blaze
after overtime

Steelers add Steven Fone in place of backup goalie Davey Lawrence. Les Millie and Simon Butterworth do not ice. Coventry at full strength.

3952 saw Sheffield qualify for the Challenge Cup Semi-Finals thanks to two goals from defenceman Daryl Andrews, including the winner with just 72 seconds of sudden death overtime remaining. This was a physical end-to-end game and the return fixture tomorrow night in Coventry should be a cracker.

Sheffield had the better of the opening period, Jody Lehman blanking Anderson twice early on with Andre Payette sitting a high sticks penalty. Back at full strength, Payette was blanked twice from 8 feet. Despite lots of pressure, Coventry failed to test Jayme Platt with Joe Ciccarello sitting an interference penalty, though Steelers were a shade fortunate when Neal Martin broke his stick attempting to shoot. (Blaze broke 4 sticks in that opening period.)

Adam Calder popped up on the blind side and Platt did well to stop his first timer. Then with Ciccarello back in the box, Steelers Erik Anderson broke away and Payette took a hooking penalty delaying his progress.

With the sides playing 4-on-4, Daryl Andrews opened the scoring with a shot through traffic that squeezed under Lehman's stick (16.06).

Blaze bossed the middle session, despite giving up 3 powerplays as their physical approach occasionally overstepped the mark. Payette and Tom Watkins' penalties were killed off without Lehman being troubled, and Watkins emerged from the penalty box to race through but lost his footing.

Payette's wristed shot from the left found Platt's glove but it was Sheffield who stretched their lead on a powerplay after Pavol Mihalik checked Paul Sample from behind into the boards. Gerad Adams got his shot away from the top of the slot and Mike Peron provided the deflection to beat Lehman (29.22).

Just over a minute later Joel Poirier whipped the puck past Platt from 12 feet (29.37) and with Blaze flying, Ashley Tait got away down the left and netted from close-in (30.15).

The rest of the period was fairly even but the home side started the third period the stronger. Lehman pulled two good saves with Blaze on an early powerplay as Peron sat a roughing minor. The next ten minutes or so brought few chances, until Payette was punished for continuing to play after losing his helmet. Lehman saved Shudra's right point blast.

Sheffield continued to press and in the final 3 minutes, Darling's blast clipped Lehman's shoulder, Andrews forced a good stick save, before Jeff Christian on the doorstep failed to connect with a bouncing puck with just 20 seconds left.

Four-on-four overtime brought few chances, until Dan Carlson intercepted a pass in his own end and skated up the middle. Adam Calder arrived on the end of the pass and Platt came up with a huge block to his right. 30 seconds later Poirier got away down the left to force a save, but Andrews went one better blasting home that late game winner (64.48).