The Flyers had the chance to make it back home wins against the Steelers for only the second time in their EIHL era. The home side added Ben Brown and Joe Lynch to the bench and scratched Shane Owen, Olivier LeBlanc, Aiden Wilson and James Spence. The visitors scratched Mark Simpson, the injured Joel Janatuinen and Ivan Bjorkly Nordstrom.

The Steelers got the first puck on net after 30 seconds when Voris was called upon to make a pad save from Brandon Whistle. In the 2^nd minute Patrick Watling had a good look at goal but from an angle he fired high over the crossbar with some net available. Matt Greenfield was in the game in the 4^th minute when Massimo Carozza from the half boards put the puck on net. The opening 10 minutes continued to present up and down rushes by both sides but without either goalie being seriously troubled. Mikko Juusola drove the net in the 11^th minute and tried to go backhand on Voris who extended his left pad to make the save but moments later he was helpless as the Steelers recycled the puck and Whistle found Mitchell Balmas at the circles who fired high over the sprawling goalie. The Steelers continued to create the better chances and Voris made saves from Sam Tremblay and an attempted wraparound by Kevin Tansey which he tracked at his near post. The Flyers responded in the 14^th minute when Jonas Emmerdahl was up supporting the rush and Greenfield made a solid save from his snapshot from the slot. The game was tied in the 16^th minute with a great team goal as Emmerdahl and Kieran Craig combined to set up Carozza at the edge of the crease who tapped the puck beyond Greenfield. Remarkably just 7 seconds later the visitors had the lead again as Tremblay drove the net to receive a pass from Daniel Ciampini and he lifted the puck over the diving Flyers goalie. Less than a minute later and the Steelers had another as Tansey came down the right wing and his shot found a hole between the pads of Voris to trickle into the net. The Steelers went on the first power play of the game in the final minute of the period and they made their man advantage count with just 6 seconds left on the clock when Whistle picked the top corner over the glove of Voris from the top of the slot.

The Flyers were on their first powerplay in the 23^rd minute when Tremblay got the gate for a trip and the home side pulled a goal back after the puck was worked around the zone and fed back up high to Tyler Heidt on the blueline who fired the puck just inside the post on the stick side of Greenfield with Phélix Martineau providing the screen and getting a deflection to beat the keeper. Just after the restart the Flyers were back on the penalty kill as Carozza was binned for a high stick. The Flyers thwarted the Steelers power play without giving up any clear cut chances as they returned to full strength. Voris made a big toe save on Tansey in the 27^th minute but the Steelers stretched their lead again in the 30^th minute when Tremblay fired low past Voris as he barreled into the slot on a pass from Watling. The Steelers had to kill a penalty on Joona Huttula in the 31^st minute after he tripped Evan MacKinnon along the boards high in the Steelers zone. Greenfield made a blocker save on Emmerdahl and then got his pad tight against the post as Martineau attempted a wraparound as the visitors returned to full strength. In the 35^th minute the Steelers had a 3 on 1 break and Daniel Leavens elected to take the shot that Voris got enough on to keep the puck out of the net. A further Steelers goal came in the 39^th minute when Whistle collected a pass from Balmas in the circles and his wrister went top shelf on Voris.

The Flyers started the third period with MacKinnon going down the left wing but his shot was straight into the logo of Greenfield. In the 44^th minute Daniel Leavens burst through and snapped a shot on goal that Voris gloved. The Flyers goalie made another fine save in the 46^th minute as Marc-Olivier Vallerand was denied and a minute later he made a double save as he made an initial stop on Reece Kelly at full stretch and then stopped the rebound effort from Tremblay who was looking to bag his hat trick. Vallerand was denied again in the 50^th minute but the Steelers added another in the 54th minute when Whistle shot wide of the target from a great position and the puck was then fed to the back post where Juusola had the easy task to dump it into the gaping net. At that point the Steelers put Marco De Filippo in net in relief of Greenfield. Sacha Guimond crashed a shot off the Flyers crossbar in the 57^th minute and the Flyers went the other way with Martineau finding Carozza with the puck and he snapped a shot bar down on the replacement Steelers goalie. 30 seconds later Robert Dowd was lurking at the back post and he added another Steelers goal before in the final few seconds Lucas Chiodo also picked up a loose puck close in and he fired another consolation goal stick side on De Filippo.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on Saturday 5th April when they entertain the Manchester Storm – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.