TICKETS: The Go Goodwin’s Manchester Storm are back in action on New Years Day with “The BIG One” as we face arch-rivals the Sheffield Steelers. Face off is at 5.30pm and tickets can be ordered online, by calling the box office on 0161 926 8782, or in person at the box office!

It’s a short hop over the Pennines for the Go Goodwins sponsored Manchester Storm this Saturday, as we travel to Sheffield to take on the Steelers on New Year’s Eve in a 3 pm faceoff.

This is the first game of a ‘home and home’ series, with the second game on the following day at the Storm Shelter, which caps a busy festive period for both teams. Storm are heading into their 4th game in 8 days, whilst the Steelers face their 4th in 9 days. Storm come into the game on a 4-game winning streak that has seen us defeat Fife, Cardiff, Dundee, and, most recently, the Belfast Giants. It was another monumental effort on Wednesday night in Belfast, as Manchester came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1, Cody Cartier and Taylor Dickin getting the goals on the evening. Dickin now has scored at least a point in every game of the 4-game streak, as has Matt Bissonnette. In nets, Mike Clemente turned away 28 shots on Wednesday, and has seen his save percentage improve to 91.5% for the season so far, joint third best in the league.

Sheffield’s festive period has seen mixed results for them, a victory over Coventry just before Christmas was followed by two tight losses against the Nottingham Panthers, both games finishing 3-2 to Nottingham. Despite this, the Steelers still find themselves in third in the league standings, 4 points ahead of sixth placed Storm. They also have the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 59 goals in 24 games, and Ervins Mustukovs has the second-best save percentage in the league (91.9%).

This is the first meeting between the teams in the league this season, although the teams have met twice in the Challenge Cup. The teams met in early September in the Sheffield Arena, when goals from Cartier, Heatley, Trabucco, and Bissonnette were not enough to overcome the Steelers, who secured a 6-4 victory with a late empty-net goal. The return game at the Storm Shelter in early October required a shootout to separate the teams, with the Steelers eventually prevailing. Goals from Taylor Dickin, Patrik Valcak, and a Mario Trabucco double took the game to overtime, Andreas Valdix getting the winning penalty shot.

Manchester Storm will be without Eric Neilson & Paul Phillips for the Saturday game in Sheffield. A decision on whether Paul Phillips will play at home in the Sunday fixture will be made on game day.

ONE TO WATCH: Mathieu Roy has goals in his last 4 games, taking his tally to 14 for the season. He now has 75 goals in the Elite League since joining the Steelers two and a half season ago.

MATCH DETAILS:

• Game at the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield: Broughton Ln, Sheffield S9 2DF
• Doors open from 2:00pm
• Face-off at 3:00pm
• 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