STEELERS STEP IT UP LATE TO TAKE GAME 1

The Steelers finished the regular season with a disappointing 6-5 overtime loss to their first round opponents, Shake 'n Bake. It was the first time during the summer season that the Steelers dropped a contest to Shake 'n Bake, and that proved, at least at first to give the Bakers confidence going into game 1.

Shake 'n Bake came out flying taking the play to the Steelers for most of the first period and well into the 2nd, but it was the Steelers that struck first as Todd Nicholl fed a streaking Hirschman for a breakaway and #8 made no mistake going shelf over the S'nB helpless tender. The Bakers evened up with only seconds remaining in the first and continued to pour it on. Shipticki was in fine playoff form stopping chance after chance and was the main reason the Steelers were in the game. The Steelers were hemmed in their own end for much of the first half of the game until they got the break they needed. While under attack the Steelers fired the puck out of their end to relieve the pressure and while the S'nB goalie went to play the puck, Jonesy's fore checking caused a turnover that Jonesy turned into the game winning goal depositing the puck in an empty net (the S'nB goalie then needed to get a new stick).

The game started getting somewhat chippy with each team taking penalties and each team getting players tossed. During the 2nd half of the game the Steelers scored 4 unanswered goals to end this one 5-1.

While this was a good effort by the Steelers, they know that without a similar turnout in game 2, this game would be wasted. The scenario for this Tuesday is that the Steelers will move on to round 2 of the playoffs with a regulation win or tie. A regulation loss would force a sudden death 4 on 4 overtime for 5 minutes and then if nothing is decided yet, the shootout.