Sheffield Steelers 5-2 Cardiff Devils (5-5 on aggregrate)
Sheffield win penalty shootout 2-1
British Knockout Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg

Sheffield without Dennis Maxwell who has been suspended by the club following his remarks in the press.

3323 disbelieving fans witnessed a dramtic penalty shoot-out victory, putting Sheffield through to the final against Coventry or Belfast. That semi-final 2nd leg is being played on 9 March.

Veteran Ron Shudra converted the vital 5th penalty and Jody Lehman's poke-check save against Mark Richardson clinched the game. Earlier Vezio Sacratini had wrapped home Devils 2nd penalty shot with Mark Dutiaume responding with a top shelf finish on the next shot.

Before then Sheffield established a 4-0 lead as ex-Sheffield Gerad Adams was ejected for spearing 12 minutes in. Jonas Lennartsson got them off the mark, then Kent Simpson and Rod Sarich posted powerplay markers after Louis Goulet and Regan Darby took minors 20 seconds apart. Mike Peron's bullet from the right wing made it 4, but a similar goal from Jeff Burgoyne and Phil Hill halved the deficit. Jonas Lennartson netted his second to send the game to penalty shots.

Cardiff started the brighter and Lehman dropped Jason Stone's left wing shot but the danger was cleared. The visitors killed a hooking penalty against Vezio Sacratini without giving up a shot. But just 21 seconds after Vezio returned, Lennartsson's shot from the right sailed high past an unsighted Peter Aubry (6:42).

The game exploded at 11:52 with a scuffle in the Sheffield end. Gerad Adams exited with slashing + a 5+game spearing penalty, with Jonathon Phillips, Kirk DeWaele, Paul Sample and Stefan Sjogren all taking single minors. That gave Sheffield a 7 minute powerplay, broken by Mike Peron's hooking minor at 12:19. Mark Dutiaume and Ron Shudra forced a pair of saves a-piece but Sheffield didn't really look like adding to their tally.

Louis Goulet was blanked by Lehman 3 minutes into the middle session before taking a hooking penalty as Sheffield cleared their zone. Darby's cross-checking penalty set up 100 seconds of 5-on-3. Shudra found Martin Masa low on the right and Simpson converted the first time pass on the doorstep (24:22). Sarich hit a blueline screamer to put Sheffield level on aggregate (25:19).

Devils had their own powerplay when Hewitt sat a hooking minor, but Lehman wasn't tested. Instead Mike Peron sailed down the right and hit a rocket over Aubry's right shoulder (32:22).

With Mark Richardson sitting a high sticks minor it looked like more Sheffield goals, but a slick break saw Goulet pass across to Burgoyne who fired home high from the right wing (35:05).

Mike Garrow limped off shortly before the second interval after blocking Masa's shot and Devils might have had a second when Brad Voth got in front of Lehman, but was unable to convert Goulet's intelligent pass.

Before the teams left the ice Voth and Sarich wrestled mid-ice for double minors.

Cardiff forced the early pace in the third period and it was no surprise when they scored again. Mark Richardson low on the right drew Lehman to the near post then found Phil Hill in acres of space on the far side and Hill converted the simplest of chances (42:41).

Sheffield began to press after killing a Peron interference penalty. Sjogren and Masa forced saves from the left wing. A minute later Aubry turned aside a Shudra shot but the puck went round to the far side and Lennartsson fired home with Aubry again unsighted (47:29).

Cardiff had most of the pressure from then on but were restricted to shots from distance from DeWaele and Darby. Goulet tried to get to the net but Lehman froze the puck.

With three minutes remaining Shudra forced a fine glove save from the left wing, then Brad Voth tried to drive the left post but was thwarted.

And then came those penalty shots.

Martin Masa's shot was gloved, Mike Garrow found Lehamn's right pad. Mike Peron shot wide, Vezio Sacratini faked to go left and went right to wrap home behind Lehman. Mark Dutiaume went in closed and wristed into the roof of the net, Nathan Rempel tried to fake Lehman and failed. Kent Simpson found the glove as did Louis Goulet. Ron Shudra skated in from the right and went across the front to flip home high beyond a prostrate Aubry before Mark Richardson went in on Lehman and the goalie dived forward to poke the puck to safety.