Sheffield Steelers hope young star can have more 'edge'

The versatile player has performed both at the back and up front for Sheffield Steelers this season.The 21-year-old product of iceSheffield's academy has been in the match-day squad in all of the 36 games so far this season.To continue his progression, coach Fox wants to see a bit more edge in the game of the six feet two inches tall skater."He is growing as a player" said Fox, of Shudra, who took a slashing penalty against Manchester Storm on Wednesday night in the 3-3 tie, a result which yielded an aggregate win of 8-5 to secure a place in the Challenge Cup semi finals.Steelers will now play the Glasgow Clan in the final four."I still think he is trying to figure out exactly what type of a player he needs to be to be really effective" said the coach."I think he needs to turn himself into an energy guy, a little bit more. A little bit more in-your-face type of game."To be fair he has done a pretty solid game when I have played him he hasn't played a ton of minutes this year but when he has played he's played solid."The former Sheffield Rapiers prospect, who scored against Nottingham Panthers back in October, played his role in the tie at Manchester.Fox said of the "ping pong" draw: "I think we played the game the right way."We had a three goal cushion so se wanted to make sure we were defensive-first mentality."Obviously we wanted to win that hockey game and probably thought we did enough to."He said his team hadn't played well previously in the three losses in the building but the Cup draw had been "a good start to move on into the rest of the year."Fox added: "This is obviously tough building to come into, it's small, things happen a little bit faster. It is a little bit ping-pong at times."But I thought we played well tonight; our job was to advance from this quarter final round and we did so I am pleased."*Steelers will be seeing a lot of Glasgow: they host Zack Fitzgerald's side in League play on Saturday, with a return match at their rink on Sunday.Sheffield hope to play their home Cup leg on Wednesday, January 29.If they overcome them they will face either Cardiff Devils or Nottingham Panthers.

The Final will be played in Cardiff on Sunday 8th March