Jonathan Fearnley

#IceHockeyCliches, by @jjfearnley.bsky.social

Sunday's defeat in Guildford was the first for the Sheffield Steelers at the Spectrum in 5 years. They hadn't lost there since before the Covid stoppage (1/3/20).

2 wins, 3 losses is also the record the Steelers have against Nottingham in CCSF. Wins in 2015 and 2017, defeats in 2010, 2014, 2016.

This will be the 6th time Steelers have met Cardiff in the Challenge Cup Semi Final.

2003/4: CAR 1-3 SHE, SHE 1-1
2004/5: SHE 2-2 CAR, CAR 3-1
2007/8: CAR 4-4, SHE 2-0 CAR
2017/8: SHE 6-2 CAR, CAR 7-1
2021/2: SHE 0-5 CAR

Steelers v Panthers and my new puck has its spot on top of the comms box.

With victory tonight, Aaron Fox has more wins as Head Coach than anyone else in Sheffield Steelers history.

Fox 223
Dampier 222

Kevin Tansey is the first Sheffield Steelers defenceman to score a hattrick since Steve Birnstill in Edinburgh in January 2012.

127 games without a hattrick and then Mark Simpson ends the streak today.

I hadn't included a game from October 2023 win the original tweet but on review, since the goals from that game stand, the lack of a hattrick should too.

It's unfair but a statistical quirk from tonight's game is that Marco De Filippo is the losing netminder.

Don't suppose you happen to know who the longest losing streak is against, do you?

Defeat on Wednesday for the Sheffield Steelers ended their run of 18 consecutive home wins.

This was their longest run in the EIHL era and second longest ever, behind only a 22 game run in the Premier League (Jan '94 - Oct '94).

The Sheffield Steelers are currently on a run of 125 games without a player scoring a hattrick.

The previous record of 92 (Oct '21 - Dec '22) was ended by Daniel Ciampini. The next game Robert Dowd got one. There hasn't been one since.