Fife Flyers take ‘step forward’ with gutsy game in Sheffield as new player added to roster

He hailed it as “a step forward” as he saw his side twice lead against the champions and tie the game going into the third period.

The match also saw the addition of young Scottish player Aiden Wilson to the roster on a two-way deal with Romford Raiders. The 19-year old centreman has iced in North America and Sweden as well as being part of the same GB under-18 squad as defenceman Brodie Kay.

Coolen said: “All in all I thought we played pretty well. It was a good game. We had the lead twice, we stuck to our game plan and took a step forward with our team.”

The game drew a huge crowd of just over 9000 and they saws Flyers push Steelers all the way.

Phelix Martineau gave Fife the lead just 3:18 into the game with an excellent wrist shot into the top corner but Marc-Olivier Vallerand levelled with a well-taken penalty shot just over four minutes later.

At the start of period two, Martineau struck again, getting on the end of Lucas Ciodo's pass with a shot that came off Greenfield's skate and rolled over the goal line 61 seconds into the period. A Patrick Watling saucer pass was taken by Mikko Juusola who then sniped a shot past Shane Owen to tie the game at 27:53. A late burst in the final stages of the middle period saw Michael Cichy ring a shot off the post as Flyers stayed very much in contention

A fortunate rebund from a Brandon Whistle shot, straight to the feed of the on-rushing Dominic Cormier, allowed Steelers to finally take the lead in the game 47 seconds into the third period. Finlay Ulrick gave them a two-goal advantage with 8:27 left, while Watling added some gloss with an empty-netter with 60 seconds to play.

It was new signing Wilson’s forest look at top flight hockey after his signing was announced just hours before face-off.

Born in Saltcoats In Ayrshire, he played his junior hockey for Kilmarnock before joining the Utica Junior Comets, who play in New York state, for the 2020-21 season.

The pandemic interrupted his hockey journey after only a couple of games, and once the sport re-started he headed to Sweden for two seasons with Sollefteå HK J18 before making four appearances for the senior team in the Swedish Second Division.

He returned to the UK to end the 2022-23 season in NIHL with the Telford Tigers. Wilsdon returned to Sweden to play at under-20 level before returning to Shropshire to lace up with Tigers.

This season took him to fellow NIHL outfit Romford Raiders who currently sit fifth in the 11-team league.