Hat-tricks from Matt Clarkson and debutant Matt Woollias helped Sheffield Steelkings to a 7-4 triumph over the table topping Manchester Mayhem in Altrincham on Sunday.

They lead 2-1 after a first period in which they had Manchester pegged inside their own zone for extended periods; Clarkson and club Chairman Jake Oakley scoring either side of Karl Nicholson’s tally for Manchester. The period was played at a furious tempo as the Steelkings cycled the puck with pace and fluidity, whereas Manchester looked dangerous on the break.

The second half was a scrappier affair and Manchester exerted more pressure of their own but Woollias gave Sheffield a 3-1 lead on a break-away effort on 25:47.

Manchester stormed back into the game to tie it up 3-3 by the start of the third period. The first came with 2:58 remaining in the second as Nicholson swept home a rebound from the centre of the Steelkings zone and then Anthony Booth took advantage of a break-away to level things up with 11:37 left to play.

Sheffield had to go and win the game again and did so. Woollias struck his second and third goals with 6:52 and 5:15 to play – the latter a back-post tap-in from a Clarkson cross, before Clarkson made the score 6-3, firing across goal into the top left corner of the net inside the final two minutes.

There was a late trading of goals in the final eighty seconds as Manchester struck back again through their own hat-trick hero Nicholson, before Clarkson secured the victory and earned his own hat-trick with a long-range effort with 31 seconds to play.

“I’m one very proud coach right now!” said Oakley afterwards, “We had a plan and together took down a great team. Everyone played their part and we got that result as a team.”

We play our first home game of the season this Sunday vs. the Peterborough Phantoms at IceSheffield at 16:15.

Written by Mike Rhodes
Photographs by Simon Gill and Anne Fotheringham

Matt Clarkson struck twice and Jake Oakley once as the Sheffield Steelkings Para Ice Hockey club began their league campaign with a 3-1 away win over the Cardiff Huskies on Saturday.

The Steelkings had to soak up a lot of early Cardiff pressure, but took the lead towards the end of the first period when Clarkson’s speculative effort from inside his own half found its way under the Huskies goaltender. They then had to rely on their own goalie Bryan Hackworth to make some key saves as the Huskies looked for an immediate response.

Sheffield grew into the game as it went on and doubled their lead in the second period. Clarkson was put through on goal by Oakley and again he finished under the goaltender from the inside right hash for his second of the game.

In the third period, Oakley got free of a defender to set up a one-on-one with the Cardiff netminder, and whilst his first shot was high, the puck bounced back off the backboards for him to bundle home his own rebound.

The Steelkings had to see out a late penalty for too many men on the ice but came good on the penalty kill, only for Cardiff to strike a late consolation as Russ Wiley fired in a rebound at close range.

Oakley said, “I’m really proud of everyone. All the players worked hard for each other and gave what they could and I’d like to thank the off-ice staff for all their efforts too.
We had to deal with a lot of pressure from Cardiff and they’re a very good side. It feels great to get our season off to a winning start.”

With the British Para Ice Hockey League adapting a 5 point system, the Steelkings earned 4.5 points for Saturday’s result: 2 points for winning the game, 1 point each for winning the first two periods 1-0, and 0.5 points for tying the third period 1-1.
The Huskies take the 0.5 points for the tied third period.

The Steelkings travel to Manchester next Sunday to face the Mayhem with a 16:15 face-off at Planet Ice Rink Altrincham.

Written by Mike Rhodes