Ice hockey: Sheffield Steelers show warrior spirit to Storm through to play off final

After an inconsistent regular league programme, they powered into the EIHL finals on the back of a 2-2 draw at Manchester Storm on Friday, and a 5-2 home win over the same quarter-final opposition on Saturday.

Steelers still do things the hard way.

They gave away a 2-0 lead at Manchester and had a slight wobble in the home leg.

But all four lines are now working hard, in unison and playing tough.

And that has given coach Aaron Fox optimism that they can succeed, despite injury concerns over Niklas Nevalainen and Marco Vallerand.

“I think most guys have play off mentality right now,” said Fox.

“It is a long year, a grind. Tomas Pitule (hurt on Friday with a check to the head) showed a ton of character (to play the next night) Robert Dowd took one in the face, and so did Evan Mosey.

“We have got a bunch of guys that are playing through some stuff right now – that’s what you need this time of year.”

Asked if the team had proved it can play without stars such as Vallerand if they have to, he replied: “Yes, any time you get all the guys committed to the cause, and playing the game the right way you are going to give yourselves a chance.

“As long as the group we put out there continues to do that I like our chances.”

He said the team had been their own worse enemies at times in league play but that hadn’t happened in the Saturday win.

As for the play offs: “We hold the cards, if we play our game, and play the right way I feel like we can get it done.”

Steelers had too much pace and power for Manchester in the first period, although the visitors showed a dangerous intensity whenever they were near the goal themselves.

In fact, Storm took the lead on a power play, after Brandon McNally was called for tripping, Anthony DeLuca scoring and celebrating with glee in his former home rink.

Steelers upped the pressure and Scott Allen equalised.

The force of Sheffield’s offensive might told again with Brett Neumann thoroughly deserving the 2-1 go-ahead goal.

Steelers took care of business in a 2-0 middle session.

Martin Latal tipped in Brendan Connolly’s effort and Danny Kristo backhanded home to put Sheffield firmly on the road to Nottingham.

Storm’s Stephen Johnson had a couple of chances and a Cole Carter goal gave the away fans some hope but Kristo’s deflection of Davey Phillips’ shot put the tie to bed.

The scene was then set for a memorable farewell to skipper Jonathan Phillips, the 17-year servant who is retiring at the end of the campaign.

n In a powderkeg Altrincham rink, in Friday’s first leg, Storm thought they’d scored in 87 seconds but it was waved off.

Sheffield’s first line opened the scoring 22 seconds after the first interlude, through Neumann.

Then Connolly tapped in his fifth goal in nine games at 36:19 to seemingly give Storm a mountain to climb.

Storm’s case did not seem to have been helped when forward Jake Bricknell took a game penalty for checking Pitule to the head.

But then Storm exploited gaps at the back and scored two rebounds to level through Cameron Critchlow, and Scott Simmonds.

But over two matches, clearly the better team went through to the finals.