The Flyers completed their only three games in three night schedule this season with the visit of the Sheffield Steelers who would go back to the top of the standings with a win. The home side were along the same lines as the night before with Jonas Emmerdahl and Justin Ducharme missing but Shane Owen returned to the Flyers net as starter.  The Steelers started Eamon McAdam in net and scratched Mikko Juusola.

The Flyers had the first chance after 90 seconds when Ryan Nicholson was up with play and  fired a shot in from the slot that McAdam got a blocker to. It was a fairly even contest in the opening 5 minutes but the Flyers were the team creating the better chances. In the 6^th minute Garet Hunt from a tight angle tried to bank the puck in off McAdam and the Steelers eventually scrambled it clear. McAdam was again in action in the 8^th minute when he blockered away a big shot from Johan Porsberger and moments later an odd man rush by the Flyers saw Hunt spray a pass to Ethan Somoza that brought out a big toe save by the Steelers netminder. Owen had to look sharp in the 9^th minute after a dump in bounced off the back boards and fell for Logan Neilson and the Fife keeper got a strong pad on his shot from the slot to make the save. Giordano Finoro then stole the puck in the Steelers zone and McAdam again had to make a strong save. The Steelers went on the first powerplay in the 10^th minute as Andrew McLean was assessed a slashing call as Robert Dowd burst through the Fife defence. Owen was called into action immediately as he made saves on Dominic Cormier and Derek Gentile but the Flyers completed the kill. The Flyers were again short handed in the 16^th minute after a coming together in front of the Fife bench between Sam Tremblay and Didrik Svendsen saw the big Norwegian handed a roughing minor. Owen made a close in stop on Ryan Tait but again the Flyers held strong to return to full strength.

The Flyers were first on the offensive in the second period and in the 23^rd minute Josh Winquist set up Porsberger who forced another toe save from McAdam. Moments later Keaton Jameson on an odd man rush brought a pad save out of McAdam. The Flyers endeavors were rewarded at 25:08 after some great set play by Mason Alderson who showed patience and his pass into the slot found Vlastimil Dostalek whose shot on the turn found a gap in McAdam to land in the net. Dowd went down the right wing in the 28^th minute and fired in  a shot from the circles that Owen swallowed. A give away by Cormier in his own end a minute later was almost punished by Dostalek but McAdam bailed him out. The Steelers broke the other way moments later on an odd man rush but Owen came up with a save and the Flyers backed him up by clearing the puck. The Flyers had the next chance shortly after when Porsberger found space at the side of the net and McAdam got a piece of the puck to keep it out and the visiting keeper then made a stellar shoulder save as a shot from Winquist was labelled for the top corner. Dowd went close soon after when Owen was sprawling but his shot was just over the bar. In the 32^nd minute a scrum that started in front of the Steelers net ended up with Jameson and Brien Diffley dropping the gloves at centre ice with the Flyers man getting the best of the contest. They both sat five minutes for fighting as did Garet Hunt and Sam Tremblay on roughing minors as the teams skated at even strength. Soon after a big elbow along the boards on Ryan Nicholson went unpunished and from the ensuing fracas Jeremy Masella and Cliff Pu both sat for roughing minors. The Flyers went on a powerplay in the 34^th minute as Evan Jasper got the gate for hooking. Hunt had a couple of efforts with the second bringing a good save from McAdam as the Steelers returned to full strength. The visitors grabbed a leveler at 36:11 as Jasper was able to snipe the puck over the blocker of Owen and under the bar leaving things all to play for in the third period.

In the 41^st minute Winquist broke down the left wing and dragged the puck around McAdam but couldn’t keep his feet and the puck slithered out of his reach. The Flyers survived a net front scramble in the 46th minute as the Steelers started to up the tempo and hold more of the territorial advantage. Dowd struck the outside of a post in the 48^th minute with a shot from the circles and Jasper drove the net in the 51^st minute but Owen tracked him all the way and managed to seal the bottom part of his net. The Flyers netminder made a huge save in the 52nd minute on Mitchell Heard. Porsberger had a chance in the 54^th minute at the back post but he just couldn’t get the puck to go. Tait then showed his speed in the 56^th minute as he barreled into the Flyers zone and tried to slip the puck five hole on Owen who shut the wickets. McAdam came up with a game saver in the 58^th minute to deny Nicholson who had time and space down low on the rush. Winquist had the final chance of the game with 90 seconds remaining but again McAdam looked solid.

The game was decided with the only shot on goal in overtime as the Steelers regained possession of the puck after a no call in the neutral zone and Mitchell Balmas was able to find the corner of the net on Owen’s stick side from the slot.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Saturday 8th November when they entertain the Nottingham Panthers – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.