Sheffield Steelers 3-1 Basingstoke Bison

Sheffield missing Mike Peron (ankle op), Stevie Duncombe (concussion), Simon Butterworth (GB U20s) and ice Hull players Ryan Lake and Lee Elliott who signed 2-way contracts earlier this week. Basingstoke missing Shawn Maltby (injured).

2267 saw Sheffield ease their way to both points in part thanks to a solid display by Jody Lehman and Bison losing two players during the course of the game. Andrew Sande went off to hospital with a suspected broken rib halfway through the opening period and Ryan O'Keefe was ejected for having no tie down on his jersey after wrestling with Dennis Maxwell. Jim Shepherd's late goal set up a tense finale before Mark Dutiaume fired into the empty net with 4 seconds remaining.

No goals in this one until late in the second when Martin Masa netted on the doorstep (37:39). Kent Simpson doubled the advantage, converting Ron Shudra's pass with Greg Chambers sitting a roughing penalty (47:00). Bison finally beat Lehman when Doug Sheppard skated through and passed across to Jim Shepherd who squeezed the puck home to Lehman's right from 6 feet (57:40). Player-coach Mark Bernard pulled himself for the extra skater with 76 seconds remaining, but Lehman had just one to shot to save before Simpson released Dutiaume down the right. He passed inside to Maxwell who passed it straight back for a simple tap-in (59:54).

It could have been so different had Bison made their powerplays count. After play was stopped for a tripping penalty against Jason Robinson, he clashed with O'Keefe and the pair took 4 minutes each for fighting. But O'Keefe's shirt came off and with the ref inspecting it for a tie down, O'Keefe was on his way for an early bath (12:05). Bison pressed but Maxwell got away and forced a save, only to take an interference penalty as Basingstoke cleared their end.

Lehman blanked John Wheaton at his right post and made one other stop on the 44 second 5-on-3 play.

Early in the middle period with Gavin Farrand sitting a hooking penalty Lehman made 7 stops, Shepherd fired in from distance and twice both Sheppard and Wheaton were blanked close-in.

By contrast that one slick powerplay marker aside, Steelers rarely looked threatening on their powerplays.

Mark Bernard was no slouch at the other end, denying a rebound from Mark Thomas. Then in the final minute of the second period he blanked Dutiaume's first-time shot from 12 feet.

Sheffield had all the pressure in the first 10 minutes of the final period, but Basingstoke were creating the better chances as the game wound down with Wheaton forcing three good saves. The last of these came on a 4-on-1 breakaway with Wheaton electing to shoot as Shudra covered the pass inside.