Match Summary
It was a frustrating night on the road for the Steelers as they slipped to a 3–0 defeat against the Manchester Storm at Planet Ice Altrincham, mirroring the disappointment of the reverse fixture just before the end of 2025. Despite arriving with the league table still finely balanced, the Steelers sitting third and just two points off the summit, the visitors were unable find the back of the net against a resolute Storm side and an inspired Drew Deridder in net.
The Steelers actually finished the night with more shots on goal (44 to 34), yet lost the faceoff battle convincingly and were left empty-handed. A lack of finishing touch and a handful of costly moments proved decisive, while Manchester were clinical when chances fell their way. Matthew Greenfield, starting in place of Eamon McAdam, was solid for long spells but ultimately received little reward for his efforts.
Special teams offered no route back into the contest. Both sides finished scoreless on the power play, with penalty kills operating at 100%, but even at five-on-five the Steelers struggled to generate the chaos needed to break down Deridder. As the clock ticked down and the net was pulled late on, the Storm held firm to see out a shutout victory.
With Dominic Cormier named Steelers’ Man of the Match and Deridder earning the same honours for the Storm, attention now quickly turns back to home ice. The Steelers return to the Utilita Arena on Saturday night to face the Fife Flyers, looking to reset before an extended run of road fixtures in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
First Period (0–0)
The opening twenty minutes saw the Steelers come out with intent, forcing early pressure just seconds in when Mitchell Balmas snapped a shot that Deridder struggled to control before his defence cleared. At the other end, Greenfield was immediately tested on an odd-man rush, standing tall to take away the angle with a confident shoulder save.
Play settled into a cautious rhythm through the first half of the period, with both teams finding it difficult to generate sustained zone time. Chances were sporadic but dangerous; Patrick Watling narrowly missing on the backhand after forcing his way through the Storm defence, while Stephen Johnson flashed wide at the opposite end following a hard drive to the slot.
The Steelers continued to probe, Balmas testing Deridder from the left circle and Jordan Southorn firing from close range late on, but the Storm netminder was sharp throughout. A giveaway behind the Steelers’ net briefly threatened to undo the visitors’ solid work, though the resulting effort slid wide. By the buzzer, the Steelers held a 12–7 edge in shots, but the scoreboard remained blank after a competitive, evenly matched opening frame.
Second Period (2–0 Storm)
The middle period once again proved costly for the Steelers. Early exchanges saw both goaltenders busy, with Greenfield denying Tyler Hinam and Deridder standing up to Mitchell Heard on a stretch pass break. Manchester then came agonisingly close when Gary Haden broke in alone, only for Greenfield to shut the door five-hole before reacting quickly to deny the follow-up chance on the odd-man rush.
Momentum began to swing just past the halfway mark as the Storm enjoyed their first sustained pressure of the night. Pinned in their own zone, the Steelers eventually cracked when Nick Welsh found space at a tight angle and snuck the puck past Greenfield to open the scoring at 30:09. The goal visibly lifted the home side and unsettled the visitors.
Less than four minutes later, a bobble at the blue line proved fatal. The puck was worked into the slot for Gary Haden, who made no mistake, firing through Greenfield to double the Storm advantage. A late penalty kill was handled efficiently by the Steelers, but the damage was done. Despite outshooting Manchester overall on the night, the Storm exited the second period with a 2–0 lead and growing confidence.
Third Period (3–0 Storm)
The Steelers were handed an early opportunity to respond when Gary Haden was penalised for delay of game just 13 seconds into the third, but the power play failed to spark the comeback. Dominic Cormier went closest with efforts through traffic and a one-timer that drifted wide, yet Deridder continued to see everything clearly.
Any lingering hopes were extinguished at 42:44. Dante Hannoun drove hard down the right wing and delivered the puck into the blue paint, where Haden showed sharp hands to knock it out of the air and into the net for his second of the night, extending the Storm lead to 3–0. It was a gut punch moment for the Steelers, who had struggled to generate sustained momentum all period.
Further power-play chances came and went without reward, and even with Greenfield pulled late on, the Storm defence held firm. Deridder turned aside point shots in the closing minutes to preserve his shutout as the buzzer sounded on another frustrating night in Altrincham. For the Steelers, it was a case of effort without execution; a performance that promised more than it delivered, and one they’ll be eager to put right back on home ice.
Post Game & What’s Next
The individual honours on the night reflected the flow of the game at both ends of the ice. For the Steelers, Dominic Cormier was named Man of the Match after a typically committed performance, leading by example with his work rate, willingness to shoot through traffic, and physical presence during a difficult night for the visitors. At the other end, Drew Deridder rightly took the accolades for the Storm, turning aside all 44 shots he faced to record a shutout, repeatedly frustrating the Steelers during key moments and providing the platform for Manchester’s victory.
Attention now quickly turns to the next challenge as the Steelers return home to the Utilita Arena on Saturday 3rd January to take on the Fife Flyers. That fixture marks the beginning of a demanding stretch of road games, with upcoming trips to Scotland and Northern Ireland on the horizon, before the Steelers next skate at home on 24th January. With the league table still finely poised at the top, a strong response on home ice will be crucial as the Steelers look to regain momentum and reassert themselves in the title race.
📸 Manchester Storm