Sheffield Steelers: Netminder Tomas Duba set for extended run of games

Tomas Duba backstops Sheffield Steelers tonight after a spell of such consistent form that his coach is in no bursting rush to recruit a number two goaltender.
Tomas Duba and Pavel KantorTomas Duba and Pavel Kantor
Tomas Duba and Pavel Kantor

Pavel Kantor was given the chop last week which meant, at 38 years old, the former Czech international is in for a longer-than-expected run of games.

His back-up netminder is 18-year-old prospect William Kerlin, who learned his trade at Guildford Firestars and Milton Keynes Storm U16B.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coach Aaron Fox has had to secure extra funding to provide defensive injury cover for Aaron Johnson and Jonas Liwing - but says he was not under any pressure to trim the roster.

"I can guarantee you if his form was high-end, we wouldn't have made that move" said Fox of Kantor, the 28-year-old Czech.

Fox explained that he had been looking at the fixture list to see when he "could give him another game, and could we wait for him to find his form?"

But the coach couldn't find games coming up where he could play him, despite Wednesday's relatively low-key Challenge Cup outing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I truly felt Pavel was going to do a good job and be a really good goalie for us; it didn't work out that way, it is one of those things I wished had been different but it hasn't and Dubes had played so well it just made sense for us to go in this direction."

Earlier this season, with disarming modesty, Duba had stated that he was happy to help Kantor develop and occasionally sit out matches, if it helped the team.

But that doesn't mean he does not possess the stamina and concentration to go on a run of games, said the coach.

"He played 95 per cent of games last year, (South Korea) he takes care of his body, he is not one of those goalies that makes a lot of extra movement out there he is very compact and doesn't waste energy, so barring some injury I don't see any need for the immediate future.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We will get through this string of games with Dubes but obviously I am exploring the market."

Liwing, sadly, is still strapped up after his upper body injury and "not anywhere near" a return, said Fox.

Johnson has been on the ice skating and passing, playing non-contact, and getting into shape.

Steelers host Manchester Storm in a group Cup match, with Fox saying there was "a ton of parity in this league" and that if his men were not ready on any given night they will lose.