Sheffield Steelers 3-2 Newcastle Vipers
British Knockout Cup First Leg

Sheffield missing Kent Simpson and Steven Duncombe, Newcastle missing Simon Leach, Andre Payette and Pavel Gromenyuk.

Sheffield take a slender lead into the second leg tomorrow night in Newcastle, thanks to 2 goal Mark Dutiaume with Rob Wilson scoring and creating Newcastle's replies. Stefan Sjogren made his debut in defence after being released by Nottingham Panthers.

4791 saw Steelers never behind in this cracking game of hockey, both teams giving everything to score and not be scored on. Twice Steelers went two goals up but Vipers almost got it back and tomorrow's game should be a cliff-hanger.

Paul Sample scored from low on the right (20:55) and a slick passing move left Dutiaume with a simple shot to double the lead (27:22). From a face-off on the left Rob Wilson blasted a reply (30:59) and after Dutiaume restored the advantage with Shaun Johnson sitting a hooking penalty (49:27) Matus Petricka outmuscled Jonas Lennartsson to convert from 10 feet (52:50).

Sheffield moved Ron Shudra up to centre the third line with Jason Hewitt stepping onto the first line.

An even first period saw Newcastle create the better chances, Corry Morgan and Paul Ferone both blanked by Jody Lehman from close-in. But the save of the goalless opening period came in the dying seconds, David Longstaff creating time and space on the right before finding Jonathon Weaver arriving at the back door but Lehman dived full length to stop Weaver's first-timer.

There appeared no danger when Sample chanced his luck from the right but the puck went in.

Soon after Gavin Farrand caught Jeramy Cornish and Cornish rounded on him, continuing to vent his anger at the Steeler whilst still in the box. That earned Cornish a misconduct in addition to his roughing penalty with Farrand taking 4 minutes for high sticks.

Rob Wilson then Mark Dutiaume were soon heading for the box as the penalties flowed. With the sides 4-on-4 Longstaff got away but was blanked at point-blank range as Lehman got a pad to his right post and then froze the rebound before Longstaff got a second chance.

Soon after Hewitt found Dennis Maxwell and his pass outside gave Dutiuame an easy shot behind Koenig to net.

Then Rod Sarich's hooking penalty proved costly. Lehman stopped Longstaff's wrap-around at the left post. But from the face-off the puck eventually reached Wilson at the top of the slot and he made no mistake.

Dutiaume might have had another but a quick whistle denied him in a scramble after Sjogren's initial shot from the right point.

5 minutes into the final session, with Johnson and Hewitt sitting minors, Maxwell got away with all the time in the world. He went to the doorstep and squeezed the puck under Koenig but the puck was fished to safety before it crossed the goal line.

Koenig made a great stop to Warren Tait's first-time effort from 10 feet, but Lehman was kept in action by Jan Krajicek's shooting at the other end.

With Johnson once more sitting a penalty (roughing), a shot from the right came out to Maxwell wide on the left and his first-time shot seemed a certain goal. Koenig had other ideas and stopped it at full stretch. But Sheffield were not to be denied and Sarich's smart pass set Dutiaume away to bury the puck.

However Newcastle stepped up their game and Petricka converted Paul Ferone's pass from the right.

Steelers were able to close-out this game comfortably but tomorrow in Newcastle might be a different story.