Sheffield Steelers 5-2 Manchester Phoenix

Steelers missing Jason Hewitt who had remained in hospital in Belfast following Sheffield's 6-1 win there on Thursday.

3495 saw Sheffield skate to a comfortable victory with Ashley Tait bagging a hat-trick and his side's man of the match award, though Jody Lehman pulled off some big saves in the opening period to frustrate the visitors who wasted two glorious chances. Tait opened the scoring with a bullet from the right wing (3:11) and Ryan Finnerty doubled the advantage, squeezing the puck through Scott Fankhouser's pads from close range (16:50). Randy Dagenais drew Fankhouser before passing inside to Dan Tessier who really couldn't miss (33:17). Scott Basiuk got Phoenix on the board at the back post (37:25) with 25 seconds remaining on Steelers' penalty for too many men. But Tait hit another scorcher from the right past an unsighted keeper just 24 seconds later (37:49). Phoenix kept plugging away in the final period and Tony Hand rifled a great shot over Lehman's right shoulder (54:30) but again, just 35 seconds on, Tait netted from the left (55:05) to round off the scoring.

Just 45 seconds in and Joe Tallari broke up the left behind the Sheffield defence with Luke Staffacher inside (two on none). But Tallari ignored the pass and Lehman turned aside the shot to his near post. Tallari forced another save on the same play before Ashley Tait tested Fankhouser. Omar Ennaffati's shot deflected close-in but Lehman wasn't beaten. A minute later Ashley Tait hit a bullet high into the net from Joey Talbot's pass.

Tallari had a great chance from 10 feet, but Lehman plucked the shot out of the air and did the same to Brett Clouthier 4 minutes later. In between Dagenais had two shots turned aside. With both goalies playing well Talbot's shot from low on the left was padded aside as was Nick Whyatt's screened shot from the right wing. Clouthier had a chance on the loose puck but chose to punch Steve Munn to the floor for a roughing minor, which his side killed with ease.

Back at full strength Tony Hand intercepted at his own blue line and sped away to low on the right, ignoring a straight shot upon Lehman and instead belting the puck at Rod Sarich as the defenceman chased back. The puck ballooned up to the far top corner of the net but Lehman turned it over the top. The puck came back across and at full strength Clouthier was blanked at the back post.

Stauffacher stripped Sarich near the goal and went across the front of the net but couldn't find a way past the goalie. Phoenix paid a high price 30 seconds later as Finnerty cut in from the left and his back-handed shot appeared to have been saved but dropped out behind Fankhouser and over the line.

Phoenix were unable to get any shots whilst Ian Manzano sat a penalty for slashing, and instead the period ended with Lehman playing a long clearance which Warren Tait picked up, tore down the left and delivered a pass to his brother Ashley arriving at the near post, but Fankhouser shut the door.

Another big save early in the middle session, Doug Sheppard's left wing shot was padded to Ashley Tait and with Fankhouser stacking his pads Tait lifted his shot, only to see it gloved. Adam Walker tested Lehman but Jeff Legue got on the end of a pass inside and his effort wasn't far away with Phoenix breaking away down the rink. From the resulting face-off Brian Passmore found Lehman's pads.

Ashley Tait again forced a stop from the right, then Fankhouser got the faintest of touches on a Talbot rocket that was heading for the far top corner. It was all Sheffield and Legue and Ashley Tait both forced good saves. From the face-off Jonathan Phillips got in at the doorstep but Fankhouser froze the puck.

Passmore twice forced saves but it came as no surprise when Sheffield extended their lead, Tessier shooting into an almost empty net after Dagenais had cleverly pushed up to draw the keeper.

Sheffield killed Phillips' hooking penalty very comfortably but as the player arrived at his team bench from the penalty box Sheffield took a too many men minor, despite having only 5 skaters on the ice. This time Phoenix made the advantage count, a drilled pass from low on the right was hit first-time by Basiuk past Lehman's despairing lunge.

But as Phoenix switched off momentarily, Tessier's pass out of the right corner was belted home first time by Ashley Tait with the goalie completely screened.

Late in the period Legue took a 4 minute penalty for accidental high sticks, but Phoenix managed just one shot on the man advantage with Lehman turning Sean Starke's shot over early in the final period.

5 minutes in Satuffacher got up the right and slammed on the brakes, but Lehman still got a pad to his low shot. Two shots from distance by Simon Mangos and then another fine glove save from Tallari. From the resulting face-off Basiuk's shot was padded out front and Whyatt's follow up was deflected over the bar. With just over 10 minutes remaining Tallari got in at the crease and went left but couldn't score, though Warren Tait took a hooking penalty for his efforts. A hooking penalty against Starke soon negated the powerplay and with the home side on the powerplay, Basiuk picked off a Tessier pass and burst up the ice to produce another good save.

Back at full strength Fankhouser saved shots from Phillips and Sheppard, but just as it seemed there would be no further scores, Hand hit a bullet high into the net from the left wing. But again Sheffield produced a quick response, that man Ashley Tait capping a memorable display.

With 90 seconds remaining Phoenix called a timeout and put Adam Summerfield in goal and the back-up goalie did well to blank Ashley Tait's left wing blast.