06.09.26 | Manchester Storm v Sheffield Steelers

The Manchester Storm entered a new era on Sunday afternoon, returning to where it all began in the mid‑nineties: the AO Arena — or, as it was known back then, the Nynex. A summer of hard work and organisation from the ownership, management and staff, completing the mammoth task of relocating the club to the city centre, has led us to today’s pre-season match‑up against the Sheffield Steelers. With a record breaking 11,062 fans in attendance the stage was set for one remarkable homecoming.

Following a rousing introduction, the game started with a bang as Jenion and Erkamps dropped the gloves at centre ice within thirty seconds of the puck being dropped. DeRidder was called into action early, making a sprawling stick save at the back post to deny the Steelers forward. The much‑coveted first goal came in the third minute when new signing Karlsson finished confidently at the back post, assisted by Hook. Their line‑mate McGauley made it 2–0 after a pleasing tic‑tac‑toe passing play between the three-beat Greenfield in close. The Steelers’ best chance came with five remaining in the period when a cutting pass to Juusola created space for the Finnish forward to take on DeRidder all alone, but Storm’s netminder stood tall to deny the chance. The Storm added a third goal in the final moments of the period, on the powerplay. It was Dudek who unleashed a powerful slap shot from the slot that nestled above Greenfield in the top corner, assisted by Hook and Nardi.

The second period got underway with an early powerplay opportunity for the visitors as Gilmour sat two minutes for a high‑sticking minor — the Storm’s penalty kill shut down any chance of a goal, however. The Steelers finally got on the board in the fourth minute when a shot from Nordström fell perfectly for Collins after rebounding out from the pads of DeRidder. A bobbling puck foiled Johnson’s golden opportunity, which would have been a dead cert to go in. Following sustained pressure in the Storm’s defensive zone, the Steelers made it 3–2 with an easy tap‑in by Stucker. On the very next shift, Whistle levelled the game, assisted by Archambault, who did the hard work down low to create an accurate pass. A timeout by Critchlow steadied the ship and restored the home side’s composure. This move proved fruitful when Gilmour skilfully roofed the puck from in front of the net — an advantage on the scoreboard that carried into the second intermission after a highly entertaining period.

The impressive Hook, Karlsson and McGauley line continued to cause problems for Sheffield’s defensive ranks. It was, however, Manchester’s very own Connor Lee who made it 5–3 with eleven minutes remaining in the game. The Storm academy graduate finished with style after a great pass from Francis. A five‑minute major penalty offered a way back into the game for Sheffield as Cutler sat out for boarding. Teissala scored early in the powerplay to make it 5–4, but the Storm boxed out the threat for the remainder of the penalty kill. Gilmour missed a chance to put the game to bed in the final two minutes, failing to convert his penalty shot after being taken down en route to the net. Dramatically the Steelers then found the equaliser through Roe, leading to an additional five minutes of three‑on‑three sudden‑death overtime. With chances at both ends but no goal forthcoming, a penalty shootout was required to break the deadlock. Unfortunately for the home fans, it was Balmas who scored the only penalty shot, securing the win for the travelling Steelers on a historic evening in back in Manchester.

By: Kristian Stokwisz