Mobilx Newcastle Vipers 1, Sheffield Steelers 3

Feb 25 2008 The Journal

FROM start to finish the Vipers failed to take their goal-scoring chances and ultimately paid for it at the Metro Radio Arena last night.

On another night, Rob Wilson’s team would have won the game and made it a two-victory weekend following Saturday’s 4-2 home success over Manchester Phoenix.

Seven minutes into the game Jeff Hutchins unsuccessfully went one-on-one with Steelers netminder Jody Lehman and the theme continued right up to the 59th minute when the normally deadly Colin Shields missed a glorious opportunity to level the scores.

With five seconds left on the game clock, Doug Sheppard made it 3-1 with a deflected effort off goalie Ryan MacDonald’s stick which really rubbed the Vipers’ noses in it.

At the second interval Lehman had made 23 of his 20 saves on the night, but at the other end MacDonald had been beaten twice on 26 and 35 minutes. MacDonald couldn’t move across his goal quick enough to prevent Jeff Legue putting the Steelers ahead at the far post.

Great Britain international Jonathan Phillips was credited with the second goal but it was possible that defenceman Jeremy Lundin made the contact on the puck which sent it beneath MacDonald. The Vipers had a powerplay opportunity spanning the second and third periods and it was important they capitalised on their man advantage, which they did 36 seconds after play restarted.

Captain David Longstaff picked out Ben Storey at the far post and the defenceman fired across Lehman for his 10th goal of the season. On Saturday, a two-goal final-period display earned the Vipers victory against the Phoenix. Derek Campbell’s eighth-minute goal for the Vipers was cancelled out by Brett Clouthier (12), and then Tony Hand put Phoenix ahead when he went one-on-one with MacDonald three minutes into the second period.

Defenceman Lundin’s poor pass led to the visitors’ second but he made amends with a tremendous strike for the 35th-minute equaliser.

The in-form Shields put the Vipers ahead again early in the final session and Jeff Hutchins put away the fourth with four minutes left on the clock.

SCORERS: Saturday – Vipers: Shields 1+3, D Campbell 1+1, Hutchins and Lundin 1+0, Jackson 0+3, Storey 0+1. Phoenix: Hand 1+1, Clouthier 1+0, Mangos 0+2, Tallari 0+1.

Yesterday – Vipers: Storey 1+0, Johnson and Longstaff 0+1. Steelers: Phillips and Sheppard 1+1, Legue 1+0, Talbot 0+2, Dajenis and Tait 0+1.