Sheffield Steelers cruise into Challenge Cup semi final date with Cardiff Devils

Wednesday night's 4-2 quarter-final second leg win at Fife Flyers (9-3 aggregate) meant Sheffield qualify for the one-off, knockout semi.

Games have been coming thick and fast after postponements caused by Covid.

But this Devils' showdown, reminiscent of the 2020 Cup final, will bring in a huge midweek crowd on February 23.

The winners take on Nottingham Panthers or Belfast Giants.

Steelers, who have appointed Mike Mawer as new Head Strength and Conditioning coach, were good value for their win in Scotland.

Both sides had wanted an early goal - and Sam Jones nearly obliged against his old club, hitting the Fife bar in the first minute.

Another young defenceman went one better, Cole Shudra scoring his first goal of the season at 10.45.

But there was still life in the team that sits at the bottom of the EIHL division - as evidenced by an equaliser from Latvian D-man Imants Lescovs at 24:19.

At the half-way point, man of the match Brandon Whistle - the two-way player whose days at Leeds Knights look numbered - lived up to his growing reputation by putting Sheffield ahead again.

The visitors' authority was underlined by a Vojtech Polak strike with 51 seconds of the middle frame for 3-1. It was Polak's 13th point in 12 games.

The pressure was off and Tommaso Traversa got in on the act with his first goal in nine games.

Flyers had only pride to play for - and they pulled another back through centreman Michael McNicholas at 46:44.

Sheffield's penalty killers did their work in the only Fife man-advantage of the night when Latal went for hooking.

That ended a futile night for the Kircaldy team.

So now it's onwards and upwards for Sheffield, who are joint top of the league with Cardiff.

By Sunday, Steelers will have played seven games in 15 days.

With injuries having depleted coach Aaron Fox's recent selection options, it has already been a testing time.

But centreman Justin Hodgman says veterans of the north American ice hockey circuit are used to a hectic fixture list.

"Playing in the minor leagues in North America you get pretty used to what are, to be honest, even harder schedules" he says.

"Three in three, Friday, Saturday, Sunday...you can barely move your legs on a Sunday!

"Both teams are usually in the same scenario, so they (administrators) are trying to get in as many games as they can, a 72 game season.

"So we are used to it, it gets harder the older you get, you just have to take care of our body and management have to management and playing time, of which Foxy and Carter (Beston-Will; Asst Coach) do a great job. It is out of our hands, we will roll with the punches as we have all season and I have no doubt we will be ok," said the forward.