Sheffield 0-0 Coventry Blaze
British Knockout Cup Final First Leg

Sheffield missing Stevie Duncombe, Coventry missing Andreas Moborg, Lee Richardson and Danny Meyers but Graham Belak dresses.

3270 saw an enthralling first leg of the British Knockout Cup Final, with Coventry always looking the stronger side and survivng two spells of 5-on-3 play far too comfortably for Steelers' liking. The goalies took the man of the match awards but both sides wasted glorious chances to score. For Sheffield, Kent Simpson left the game and headed to the local hospital for a check-up with Evan Cheverie taking a charging penalty for the challenge.

Evan Cheverie set the tone in the second minute firing in a viscious shot that ballooned off Jody Lehman's stick up in the air, but was cleared to safety. Klempa turned aside Rod Sarich's left wing shot at full stretch, but Blaze were on top and Dan Welch jumped onto the puck at a right wing face-off but shot wide across goal.

Ashley Tait went past two players before firing into Lehman's pads. Sheffield went straight down the other end and Mark Thomas' big shot fell to Kent Simpson close-in but he missed the bouncing puck. As Blaze swept back up the ice Simpson took the opening penalty of the game (interference). At the restart Lehman almost got caught behind his own net but got back to turn aside Barrie Moore's wrist shot. The powerplay ended when Dan Welch took a high sticks penalty and Adam Calder's hook on Martin Masa 20 seconds later gave Steelers a 4-on-3 chance with 72 seconds of 5-on-3 to follow. Sarich and Ron Shudra blasted wide and Mike Peron had an effort blocked as Klempa had no save to make.

Lehman turned aside Jeff Hutchins' big shot from the left and Sheffield went straight down the other end with Klempa gloving Jonas Lennartsson's chance.

With chances coming at both ends, Adam Calder's shot from the halfway line was padded straight to Welch, but he shot wide again.

Joel Poirier forced two good stops and as Sheffield broke away Mark Dutiaume took a charging penalty as he flattened Mihalik. On the powerplay Lehman did well to blank Welch. Then Cheverie's long shot rebounded to Welch but again he shot wide.

In the final minute of the first Sarich was unlucky to see his shot deflected just wide of the far post.

Coventry kept up the pressure early in the second, before Masa went across the doorstep, but Klempa made the stop lying on the ice.

Cheverie flattened Simpson and there was concern as the Sheffield forward was motionless. He skated off and didn't return to the game as Cheverie took a two minute penalty.

Again Klempa had no shots to save as Blaze killed the penalty with ease. Dutiaume wristed a right wing shot and then Mike Peron muscled his way across the doorstep but didn't shoot.

With Sheffield pressing, Stefan Sjogren's quick pass inside from the right found Paul Sample at the back post, but he couldn't put away another bouncing puck and the chance went begging.

Back came the visitors with several shots, and the best chance fell to Hutchins after Sheffield were turned over in their own end. Hutchins had time and space in a central position but shot wide. Sheffield collected the puck and swept up the ice, Paul Sample's shot rebounding to Peron close-in but he failed to connect.

Blaze camped in the Sheffield end but the home side survived and Sjogren forced a good stop at the other end after Peron had muscled his way across the back of the net. Tom Watkins took a holding penalty trying to stop Peron that time.

This time Klempa saved from Peron and Dutiaume, but again another rebound went begging as Dutiaume fanned on his own rebound.

The period ended with a fluke bounce off the boards falling to Moore and Lehman gloved the strike as he did again from the same player 30 seconds later.

The final period started with another burst of penalties. Cheverie's hooking call and then Masa's holding the stick penalty was followed by a James Pease holding penalty for up-ending Dutiaume. Sheffield were 5-on-3 for 27 seconds but failed to get a shot away until Cheverie had returned. Then Dutiaume's shot from the right was turned aside and Shudra's shot was blocked with play halted as Klempa went down dramatically. From the face-off, Shudra's shot was deflected just wide by Jason Robinson, Shudra collecting the puck for a wrap-around attempt at Klempa's right post.

Jason Hewitt's boarding penalty and Cheverie's hooking minor left the sides 4-on-4 and Lehman got his blocker to Welch's wrist shot.

Back at full strength, Moore and Poirier had efforts turned aside as Blaze looked the more likely to find the net.

After Masa and Dutiaume had shot wide Sjogren at last gave the home crowd some hope as Klempa saved at full stretch.

Sheffield called a time-out when Russ Cowley took a high sticks penalty but again Sheffield struggled to make the powerplay tell, only Peron testing Klempa from the left. Blaze might have netted short-handed as Moore forced a good glove save on a breakaway.

In the final 5 minutes Moore forced three more saves, with Poirier attempting to drive the net in an almighty scramble with 3 minutes remaining.

With just 15 seconds left Welch burst through up the right... but shot wide of the near post.