Derby clashes headline cup action

Photo: Dean Woolley

It’s Premier Sports Challenge Cup action for six teams this Saturday night with games across the country.

1800 Guildford Flames vs. Coventry Blaze (Tickets)
The day’s earlier start in Guildford puts the Flames and Blaze each other for the third time this season in the Challenge Cup.

Guildford won both of those games as the teams met prior to opening weekend in the Challenge Cup. Guildford are second in Group B of the cup with five points, one behind Cardiff ahead of them. Coventry, who just have one win against the Devils from four games played in their win column, are three points back from the Flames, making this weekend’s home-and-home series vitally important if they’re to keep their chances of advancing to the next round in their own hands.

Guildford lead the all-time series between the two teams on home ice by 10 wins to 4.

1900 Dundee Stars vs. Fife Flyers (Tickets)
Dundee and Fife meet for their third derby clash of the competitive season so far with Flyers trying to get their first win against the Stars.

In all three previous meetings, Dundee have come out on top, though the last of those was only after a shootout which earned Fife their first point of the season. The Flyers recorded their first win last Sunday against Manchester.

For Dundee, it’s a welcome return to cup action after league defeats to Guildford and Sheffield last time out. Midweek they were well beaten in Manchester. The Stars are looking good for a place in the Quarter-Finals with six points from five games, and a home win against their local rivals would confirm them finishing at least second in Group A.

The Flyers’ last win in Dundee was on 22 February 2020, with the Stars having won 27 of the 43 games at the Dundee Ice Arena between the two sides in the EIHL.

1900 Nottingham Panthers vs. Sheffield Steelers (Tickets | Webcast)
It’s a Saturday night derby for the Panthers and Steelers for the second week in a row as the Sheffield head to Nottingham for the first time in competitive action this season.

Aaron Fox’s Steelers came back from 2-0 last week to eventually win 4-3 in overtime before completing a perfect weekend with a road win in Dundee.

Nottingham have, however, won two straight since that defeat over Cardiff and Guildford. In the contest of Group C of the cup, it’s the Steelers leading the Panthers by a point – so a win for the hosts tonight will swap their positions, while if the visitors take two points they’ll start to open up a bit of a gap.

Elsewhere, Manchester will be watching on and hoping results go in their favourite to keep their qualification chances alive – they could be up to seven points behind with four games left after tonight.