EIHL Preview: Steelers at Blaze – 7 September 2013

by UK American Sports Fans

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After a batch of pre-season games, the competitive season finally arrives this weekend as the Coventry Blaze entertain the Sheffield Steelers in the Challenge Cup on Saturday.

The Blaze have had a mixed pre-season, beating the Cardiff Devils at home 3-1 but losing to them away 7-3. There was also an impressive performance in a 3-1 defeat to Danish side Esbjerg. New signings Ryan Ginand (F) and Mike Zacharias (NM) have impressed and will need to be on top form to take on the strong Steelers side, who many have tipped for honours this season. There is no replacement as yet  lined up for Mike Egener (D) and with Steven Chalmers (D) still out, the Blaze will likely run with four defencemen getting the bulk of the work (Sean Erickson, Benn Olson, Kenny Källström, James Griffin) with young Brits Matt Selby and Dale White also contributing. There are questions over Cale Tanaka (F) who missed the Cardiff game on Wednesday but this is likely to have been precautionary and Tanaka should return. Coventry have been good at home in pre-season but this is the first real test for new head coach Matt Söderström and he will hope that the side can carry their good form over.

The Steelers meanwhile travelled further a field for their pre season exploits, embarking on a 3 game tour of Europe. With mixed results, a 5-0 loss to the star studded Ambri Piotta of Switzerland, a 4-2 loss to Slovak side HC Kosice and a gutsy 3-2 shootout win over Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana, the Steelers got to test their new and existing talent against some of Europe’s strongest tests. Newcomers Aaron Nell (F) and Rob Dowd (F) both impressed early on, with the latter returning to the Steelers after 2 years away and already looking like the man to watch this season.  Nell and Dowd make up part of an explosive group of forwards containing fellow new faces Maxime Lacroix, Tim Spencer and Stefan Meyer as well as returning talent such as Jason Hewitt, Steven Goertzen and last season’s top scorer Jeff Legue. On the defensive side the Steelers look strong as ever, with new Goaltender Frank Doyle staring in the shootout victory, whilst Dustin Kohn, Gord Baldwin and Chad Langlais join an already experienced group of existing Steelers.

Despite an offseason playing some of Europe’s top sides, incoming Head Coach Doug Christiansen will know that this first competitive test is his most important as a Steeler. With that in mind, and with all his new weapons on the Ice, Christiansen will expect nothing less than a Challenge Cup win from his men, but will know that an upset in this competition is no rare thing.