A season without success makes this Sheffield Steelers' star more hungry for silverware

Brett Neumann celebrates a goal against Manchester Storm. Picture courtesy of Dean Woolley

Brett Neumann thinks the tale of Sheffield Steelers' ultimately unsuccessful Play Off campaign was a story of two penalties.

In the semi final against Cardiff Devils, and ahead 2-1, Davey Phillips was called for tripping.

Steelers expertly kept the Welsh out but couldn't then capitalise on that momentum.

Cardiff equalised, taking the game into overtime, a spell which was just 18 seconds old when Daniel Ciampini was binned for hooking.

Steelers were 11 seconds away from killing the extra-man play when Canadian centreman Jake Coughler buried the puck to guarantee Devils a place in the Final.

Neumann said Sheffield had had their own chance "to close it out in the third and in overtime.

"It just didn't go our way, it's too bad" he said.

The 24 year old from Toronto dodged the question on whether his team had physically faded as the semi-final progressed, saying both sides had been toiling hard in all areas of the ice.

"We had plenty of chances to put the game away."

The forward applauded Cardiff's South Yorkshire-born netminder Ben Bowns for his saves which kept the Devils in it, during key moments.

"They just ended up getting the bounce.

"We killed the first penalty in the third (period) which I was hoping would give us a little bit of momentum but, in overtime, any time it is four-on-three it's a lot harder to kill than five-on-four.

"So it wasn't ideal and they ended up capitalising on the last 10 seconds."

The Sheffield team's lack of success "could come down to the big moments ...we had our chances."

Neumann, in his first year as a centreman and winger in the Elite League, said the loss gave him an appetite for success for next year, wherever he plays.

"It always sucks to end your season with a loss like that.

"We were so close to playing for a trophy, in a close game, so it just makes you hungrier," said the former Bridgeport Sound Tigers skater.

As for his destination for season 2023-24, he said: "I haven't looked too much into my next season yet... I will say I have enjoyed my time a lot here."

Neumann was a staple ingredient on the first line for Sheffield, along with Scott Allen and Ciampini.

He finished the season with 29 goals just one behind top scorer Robert Dowd.

In overall points, he was third in the Steelers' individual list, behind Matt Petgrave and Daniel Ciampini.