WEEK 19 of the 2024/25 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers start on Saturday with a derby match against the Dundee Stars before travelling to play the Sheffield Steelers on Sunday.
SATURDAY JANUARY 11th FIFE FLYERS v DUNDEE STARS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.15pm
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The last meeting between the teams was only two weeks ago and since then the Stars have had some mixed results. To see out 2024 Dundee faced up to the Giants in a doubleheader with the first game in Belfast which the home side won 5-2. The following afternoon on Tayside in their Hogmanay clash the Stars surrendered a two goal lead in the final six minutes of the game before the visitors completed their comeback with a winner just seconds into overtime. The Stars couldn’t have hoped for a better start to 2025 as they visited the Cardiff Devils on Friday night and returned home with their first two point haul at the Vindico for two years after recovering from being a goal down to lead 3-1 and eventually seal the 4-2 win with an empty net goal. The following night they returned home to meet the Manchester Storm and in a game that swung back and forth the visitors took all two points with an odd goal in seven win. This weekend following their trip to Fife the Stars will host the Nottingham Panthers.
Last League Visit from Stars
Overall Home League Record Against Stars
P 43 W 21 L 22 F 138 A 126
Number Crunching
The Flyers have lost their last five games against the Stars which ties as their worst sequence against the Tayside club in all EIHL competitions.
A Stars win would also tie their best run of wins against the Flyers at Fife Ice Arena in the EIHL era at three games.
The Stars are enjoying a rich vein of success against their neighbours who have only 4 regulation wins in 15 encounters over the last two seasons.
Since his return to the team in mid-season Philippe Sanche has goals in each of the last three games against the Flyers and he leads the Stars scoring all time in the EIHL against the Flyers with 16 goals.
Chase Schaber with 21 goals is the Flyers goal leader against the Stars in all EIHL competitions.
The Flyers will be looking to avoid their 12th straight defeat which would tie their longest winless streak of this season.
SUNDAY JANUARY 12th SHEFFIELD STEELERS v FIFE FLYERS @ UTILITA ARENA – FACE OFF 4.00pm
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The last meeting of the teams was the first day in December with the Flyers winning on home ice and it’s fair to say that the defending Champions inconsistent form so far this season has continued since. The following weekend the Steelers downed the Blaze 5-2 at the Utilita Arena before picking up both points in a tight one goal encounter against the Stars in Dundee. There was a huge 9-0 shellacking on home ice of the Guildford Flames midweek which unsurprisingly remains both teams biggest win/defeat. The following weekend however the Glasgow Clan visited Yorkshire and registered a 2-1 win and this was followed the next night with a rare shutout for the Steelers as they went down 3-0 in Belfast. The Saturday before Christmas the Steelers slump became three games as the Devils won handsomely 5-1 in Cardiff. Boxing Day saw another reverse as the Panthers overcame their rivals in Sheffield but two days later the Steelers avoided a fifth straight defeat as they got some revenge on Panthers with a 3-2 win at the Motorpoint Arena. Manchester Storm visited the Utilita to close out 2024 with the Steelers visiting the Storm on New Years day to hoover up four points over the two games. Last weekend started with what may yet be a statement 5-3 win in Belfast for the Steelers before they then downed the Flames 4-1 at home. This five game winning streak is currently the best of all teams. This weekend the Steelers have a home double header with Coventry Blaze visiting the night before the Flyers.
Last League Visit to Steelers
Overall League Away Record Against Steelers
P 31 W 3 L 28 F 47 A 142
Number Crunching
The Flyers are winless on Sheffield ice in their last 17 visits.
Their last win was 17th October 2018 when goals by Evan Bloodoff, Brett Bulmer and Paul Crowder helped them to a 3-1 win.
Since then the Steelers have outscored the visiting Flyers 27-87.
Excluding shootout goals the Steelers need one more goal for 300 against the Flyers in all EIHL competitions – the Flyers next goal will be their 150th all-time against the Steelers.
Robert Dowd has 30 goals against the Flyers in all EIHL competitions which is the most by a single player all time against the Flyers in the EIHL era.
The Steelers lead all teams in empty net goals this season with 10 goals scored.
The Steelers are second in goal scored per game average across all EIHL competitions this season with 3.86 compared with Flyers league lowest 2.16.
The Steelers have also given up the second fewest shots on goal across all games this season with their average 30.17 with the Flyers also having conceded the most with a 42.18 average.
