Sheffield Steelers 3-0 Newcastle Vipers

Brent Bobyck returns for Sheffield following his elbow operation whilst Simon Butterworth and Les Millie do not dress. Newcastle without Kevin Bucas, Simon Leach and Michael Tasker.

With a coach full of Manchester Phoenix supporters attending and a large contingent of Newcastle fans boosting the crowd to 3592, both goalies turned on the style for deserved Man of the Match awards. Doug Teskey in particular blanked Sheffield time and again, but Jeff Christian bagged two rebounds and Joe Ciccarello scored from close-range.

For Newcastle their ex-Steelers came closest to scoring : Rob Wilson rang the far post from the right wing on a first period powerplay with David Longstaff waltzing through and round the goalie Jayme Platt with 4 minutes left, but he failed to score and Platt posted his first shut-out for Steelers.

The game opened quietly with a period in which Sheffield had the better of the play without creating any big chances.

Doug Teskey blocked Dion Darling's early left wing shot, then ex-Steeler David Longstaff fed Rob Trumbley on the doorstep but Jayme Platt blocked the effort. When Sheffield took a Too Many Men penalty Newcastle camped out around the home net and another ex-Steeler, Rob Wilson, pinged the far post from the right. Brent Bobyck broke down the right but Teskey padded the shot away.

Jeff Christian powered down the left and his shot bounced off Teskey to Joe Ciccarello, but Teskey saved again despite being prone on the ice. As Sheffield upped the pressure Gerad Adams took an Interference penalty at the Newcastle net, but Vipers failed to test Platt.

With 15 seconds of the powerplay remaining, Vipers took a needless Delay of Game penalty before a face-off. Steelers applied lots of pressure but Teskey only had Darling's right wing shot to save.

Late in the period Marc LeFebvre got away down the left and his shot rebounded to Paul Sample, but Rob Wilson whipped the puck off his toes.

Early in the second Erik Anderson was blanked close-in on the right with Rob Wilson taking an Interference minor on the same play. That was punished when Anderson shot throughn a crowded zone and although Teskey padded the shot away, Christian got to the rebound to open the scoring.

Four minutes later Teskey produced a double save from Ciccarello and Anderson after Christian passed the puck from behind the net. Another four minutes and Ryan Lake arrived at the crease to force a point-blank save.

Hilton Ruggles popped up on the right post but Platt sticked the effort aside, with Rob Wilson denied with a shot from distance soon afterwards.

Shots from Ciccarello, LeFebvre and Shudra were all comfortably turned aside before Platt was required to glove a first-timer from Wilson.

Sheffield really should have extended their lead with a 3-on-2 breakaway, but Anderson elected to pass not shoot and when the puck came back to him on the doorstep Teskey stacked his pads to make the save.

Late in the period Hilton Ruggles hit a bullet from the left but Platt trapped the puck in his pads.

Sheffield began to skate away with this one in the final session. Teskey turned aside good shots from Adams and Sample, but was beaten by a left wing shot from Joe Ciccarello (46:39) which made the game safe.

With eight minutes left Brent Bobyck took a high sticks minor and Robin Delacour could only shake his head as Platt pulled an excellent glove save high to his right.

With Hilton Ruggles serving a Hooking minor Longstaff skated in from the right and drew Platt superbly before circling behind the net, but the home defence got back to crowd out his shot.

With 90 seconds remaining Newcastle took their second Delay of Game penalty of the match for failing to be ready for a face-off and their captain Jonathon Weaver took a two minute minor for "Captain's Attitude".

As Weaver left the box at the end of the game he talked his way to a game misconduct for Abuse of an Official.