PREVIEW: Storm @ Sheffield Steelers

TICKETS: The Go Goodwin’s Manchester Storm welcome the Sheffield Steelers on Monday 1st January 2018 in THE BIG ONE, here at Planet Ice Altrincham in Elite League action! Tickets can be ordered online, by calling the box office on 0161 926 8782, or in person at the box office.

Your Go Goodwins sponsored Manchester Storm take the short trip over the Pennines to face the Sheffield Steelers this Saturday 30th December for their final game of the calendar year, facing off at 7:00 pm.

Both sides are coming into the weekend off the back of 3 straight wins, Storm overcoming Nottingham, Guildford, and Dundee, while Sheffield have beaten Nottingham twice and Braehead in their last 3, shutting out the opposition on each occasion. Storm faced Dundee on Boxing Day, overcoming the Stars 4-0 at home. Matt Beca scored a second period hattrick after Dallas Ehrhardt got the scoring underway in the first period. This goal took Ehrhardt’s tally to four this season, three more than he scored last season. Mike Clemente turned away all 21 of Dundee’s shots, after conceding only a single goal in each of the previous two Storm matches. Sheffield had a home-and-home series against rivals the Nottingham Panthers, winning 4-0 on Boxing Day and 5-0 on the 27th. Goals on Boxing Day came from Levi Nelson, Mark Matheson, John Armstrong, and Mathieu Roy, while Ervins Mustukovs secured a 30-save shutout. The Steelers went one further the following night in Nottingham, Nelson and Armstrong getting on the board once again, alongside Tim Wallace, Ben O’Connor, and Robert Dowd. Mustukovs required just 15 saves to complete his third straight shutout.

This is the first league meeting between the sides this season, however they have faced each other twice in the Challenge Cup, with the Steelers prevailing on both occasions. Storm travelled to Sheffield in early-September, but came away on the end of a 6-3 defeat. Steelers’ goals coming from Andreas Valdix, Colton Fretter, Robert Dowd, Jonas Westerling, and a Mathieu Roy double. Storm got on the board through Dallas Ehrhardt, and two from Chris Auger. It was a closer affair in the second meeting at the Storm Shelter two months later, but it was the Steelers prevailed again, winning 3-1. Levi Nelson, Andreas Jamtin, and the now departed Andre Deveaux getting Sheffield’s goals, Ciaran Long with the solitary Storm marker.

One to watch: After not conceding a goal for the past 240 minutes of game time, it’s hard to look past Ervins Mustukovs as the one to watch. The Latvian netminder has posted a save percentage of 92.2% and a 2.14 goals against average this season.

MATCH DETAILS:

  • Game at the Sheffield Arena: Broughton Ln, Sheffield S9 2DF
  • Doors open from 6:00 pm
  • Face-off at 7:00 pm
  • Tickets for the game can be bought from HERE
  • Webcast for the game can be found & ordered HERE
  • Live Twitter updates from the game will be via StormLive
  • Storm will be in their WHITE away jerseys

TICKETS: The Go Goodwin’s Manchester Storm welcome the Sheffield Steelers on Monday 1st January 2018 in THE BIG ONE, here at Planet Ice Altrincham in Elite League action! Tickets can be ordered online, by calling the box office on 0161 926 8782, or in person at the box office.