Steelers take OT win as Flyers get first league point

Photo: Flyers Images

Fife Flyers picked up their first point of the league season but were narrowly beaten 2-1 in overtime by Sheffield Steelers at Fife Ice Arena.

Ryan Nicholson had an early chance to put the Flyers ahead but chose to pass rather than shoot – a recurring theme for the home side, who often looked for an extra play instead of taking their opportunities.

After a goalless opening period, Fife went in front 5:08 into the second. Mason Alderson worked hard along the boards before setting up Vlastimil Dostálek, who fired past Eamon McAdam to give the hosts the lead. The Flyers pushed for a second, but several shots drifted narrowly wide before they were caught on the break. Evan Jasper made no mistake at 36:11, using his teammate as a screen before ripping a shot past Shane Owen to level the game.

“FIfe is always a tough road trip,” said Jasper post-game. “They are a physical team and you don’t want to give them momentum or get their crowd going. They played well and kept it close, but we were just able to get that extra point in overtime which is big for us.”

The Steelers carried the play for most of the third period, with Owen making several excellent saves to keep the game tied. Fife almost snatched the win in the final two minutes when Josh Winquist couldn’t quite get his shot away before being knocked down in front.

Overtime brought drama as the Flyers wanted a penalty when they felt Keaton Jamieson was hauled down in the neutral zone, but no call came. Just seconds later, Mitchell Heard coolly finished past Owen to win it for Sheffield.

“It feels good for us, we’re on a bit of a roll here and we’re happy to keep it going,” added Jasper. “Points are big in these early months, so it’s important to pick them up whenever we can.”