MIKE Torchia is enduring the most frustrating period of his 13-year professional ice hockey career.

The 29-year-old former NHL netminder joined Manchester Storm from Sheffield this summer only a few months after helping the Steelers to an historic Grand Slam.

Two months on, though, and life could not be much different for Torchia, who is having great difficulty dispossessing Stevie Lyle of the first-choice goaltending spot.

Storm are rooted to the bottom of the Superleague with just four wins from 16 games, while the M.E.N. Arena has become a safe haven for opposing teams.

''Other than playing in the NHL, winning the four trophies in Sheffield last season was the most memorable moment of my career,'' Toronto-born Torchia said.

''We came to the rink just knowing we were going to win games. Even if we didn't play well we always found a way to win. That's why this season has been so frustrating.

''We're often only giving up one or two goals a game, but then we're not scoring at the other end or only managing to squeeze out a tie.

''That has made this season a real challenge for me. Last year you knew if you gave up a bad goal here and there that the team was going to pick you up and win.

''Unfortunately that is not happening this year for myself or Stevie.

''He hasn't given up too many bad goals for us but we haven't found a way to win.

''Winning when you haven't played well is the sign of a good team, we had that last year and you only need to look at the likes of Man United to see it's true. Sometimes they don't deserve to win but they always seem to manage to.

''If you're not giving up more than three goals a game then you should win more games than you lose, but that's not the case with us.

Frustration

''It's so frustrating because the goaltending and defence has been good. You play a good game but still come out with a loss or a tie but we're going to have to battle through this.

''I'm looking to play more but Stevie's playing very well and that has made it harder, but you've got to understand that and just keep working hard in practice.''

Torchia, who faces his old club at the M.E.N. Arena on Tuesday night, added: ''The fan support in Sheffield is unbelievable.

''The people just truly love the team and the game there. It makes it that little bit more difficult here when you are playing in such a big building with 4,000 or 5,000 people.

''It's a younger audience and it just seems like there is a little less atmosphere, I would like to see more fans here, but Sheffield is a special place to play.''

Outside of hockey, Torchia is a keen cook but his one other sporting passion is soccer.

''I'm a huge football fan and support Juventus. Both my parents are Italian and my dad Renato used to play professionally for Bari in the second division,'' he said.

''I do like English football though. It's one of the more exciting leagues to watch and you probably won't see as many goals anywhere else.

''Being in a city where you have the chance to watch Man United is great. I love watching Barthez, I think he's hilarious. I can relate to him more because I play in goal, too.''

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