The Flyers hosted the Sheffield Steelers for the second time this season with the Yorkshire side playing the middle game of their 3 in 3 nights against Scottish opposition. The Flyers welcomed back from injury Josh Winquist and David Booth although they were missing Jeremy Masella and the suspended Garet Hunt with Christian Purboo getting the start in net. Eamon McAdam was in between the pipes for the Steelers as they were without Jack Dougherty and still had not yet received clearance for new signing Brett Ritchie to ice.

The Steelers were first to threaten and it was a good stick in the shooting lane by Ryan Nicholson in the 2^nd minute that snuffed out a dangerous chance for Stephen Harper. Purboo was then in action moments later as he stopped Mitchell Heard as the visitors broke in on goal on a 2 on 1. McAdam made his first stop of the match in the 3^rd minute as he made a left pad save on an Ethan Somoza shot through traffic from the blueline. In the 4^th minute Purboo fought off a shot and the Flyers went the other way with a give and go ending with McAdam hanging on to a Booth shot. The Steelers opened the scoring at 5:30 when Reece Kelly went to the net from the right wing and he beat Purboo with a shot high to his glove side. In the 7^th minute Josh Winquist fed the puck to Milan Lucic and his shot was gloved by McAdam. Evan Jasper was denied when his shot in the 10^th minute was blockered away by Purboo before the Steelers went on the first powerplay of the night a minute later as Justin Ducharme was penalised for a hook.  Jonas Emmerdahl came up with a shot block on Harper as the Flyers mainly kept the Steelers to the outside to complete the kill. The home side levelled matters at 12:43 when Simon Despres put the puck on net from the point and Lucic cruising through the slot got a redirect to beat McAdam. The Flyers pressed the visitors defence and they got their reward at 15:05 as they went in front. Winquist won a battle for the puck and fed it to Ducharme who had time and space in the slot to roof the puck over the glove of McAdam. The Steelers goalie had to sprawl in the 17^th minute to keep out Anton Karlsson after some fine passing in the Steelers zone and moments later Dominic Cormier saw Purboo deny him with a blocker save. The Flyers doubled their advantage at 18:13 as Keaton Jameson cleanly won a face off and got the puck back to Ethan Somoza who rifled a shot high past the glove of McAdam with Logan Neilson also providing a screen.

35 seconds into the middle period the Flyers almost added another as Karlsson was denied close in by a flashy glove save by McAdam after he tried a backhand shot from the slot. In the 25^th minute Lucic was called for roughing as he tangled with Kelly to put the Steelers back on the powerplay. The Flyers had a shorthanded chance as Karlsson stole the puck and set up Somoza in the high slot but he couldn’t hit the target. Purboo then came up with a couple of solid saves to deny Mitchell Balmas who had shots from below the circles blockered away and then hit the Fife goalies shoulder as the home side returned to full strength. The Steelers did however reduce arrears at 28:55 as Jasper fed the puck inside to Joona Huttula who beat Purboo on the glove side. The Flyers were desperately unlucky in the 30^th minute as Andrew McLean jumped up in the play and he got the puck behind McAdam only for it to hit the inside of the post and bounce out the other side of the crease. At the stoppage in play Lucic and Kyle Watson clashed with both dropping the gloves and each sitting five minutes for fighting. In the 33^rd minute a shot from the blueline by Ian Scheid was knocked away by McAdam who then was fully extended a minute later by a shot on the turn by Winquist but the Steelers goal survived. Only momentarily however as the Flyers added to their lead again at 34:23 when Booth split the Steelers defence and McAdam stopped him but couldn’t locate the puck which lay in the crease until Karlsson poked it into the net. Purboo came up with a big save in the 37^th minute to stop Mikko Juusola and a minute later he had a shot go in and out of his glove. With just 22 seconds of the period remaining the Flyers struck again as Nicholson went down the gut and in on McAdam who made the save but the rebound fell nicely for Johan Porsberger to lift into the corner of the net.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on Sunday 18th January when they entertain the Dundee Stars – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.