Panthers and Steelers hold first leg advantages

Photo: Panthers Images

Nottingham and Sheffield hit the road tonight in the Premier Sports Challenge Cup both with aggregate leads to defend in Guildford and Fife respectively.

1930 Fife Flyers vs. Sheffield Steelers (Agg.: 1-5) | Webcast
Sheffield head into Fife with a four-goal aggregate lead in their pocket after a dominant third period last week at the Utilita Arena.

The Flyers head into this cup Quarter-Final second leg having been beaten at home by Nottingham and on the road in Cardiff last weekend, extending their skid to six straight games. Todd Dutiaume's team have won just one of their last 12 in all competitions.

If they're to turn this tie around, the Flyers will have to do something that only one team has done to the Steelers in the EIHL this season: beat them by five goals. Aaron Fox's team have only lost one game by that margin all season, and go up to Kirkcaldy on a run of eight straight wins, and no regulation loss since that defeat to Cardiff in November - a record now stretching 14 games.

2000 Guildford Flames vs. Nottingham Panthers (Agg.: 2-4)
Guildford host Nottingham hoping to both turnaround their two-goal aggregate deficit, and end their own negative series.

The Flames desperately need a change in fortunes after having lost 10 straight games and winning just one of their last 14 in all competitions. They do, however, have history on their side in cup meetings with the Panthers having never lost a home tie to Nottingham: a 5-2 home first leg victory in 2019 helped see them through to the semis, while in 2020 they won 5-3 but that wasn't enough to overturn a 5-1 first leg defeat.

The Panthers came out of a 3in3 in Scotland at the weekend five five points out of six, and have still not lost in regulation under interim coach Mark Matheson - a run now stretching six games.