Steelers edge past battling Flyers

Photo: Flyers Images

A shorthanded Daniel Ciampini goal was all that separated leaders Sheffield Steelers and Fife Flyers in 60 minutes of end-to-end hockey at the Fife Ice Arena on Saturday night.

Flyers were ahead inside two minutes thanks to Janne Kivilahti squeezing the puck through Matt Greenfield from a tight angle with only 1:52 played. Ciampini levelled at 13:20 but the hosts were back ahead at 15:42 when Dillon Lawrence's will to reach the puck saw him out-skate the Steelers' defense and poke the puck past Greenfield as he lunged forward. 

Sheffield tied things up at 31:05 thanks to an excellent Davey Phillips pass across the slot that found Kevin Schulze at the back post for a tap-in, and then took the lead at 32:49. While the Steelers bench was unhappy at a minor penalty for Too Many Men, Daniel Ciampini broke shorthanded and beat Shane Owen at the second attempt after not giving up on the play to put the visitors ahead. 

The home side ran into penalty trouble in period three which disrupted their efforts to find a way back into the game, but despite a late Tripping call on Evan Mosey the Steelers held on for two valuable points in a game where the Flyers will probably think they deserved overtime.