With a 1-3 victory over the Harp Lager Belfast Giants, the Sheffield Steelers have become the first ever winners of the UKā??s Elite Ice Hockey League. This was also due to an amazing victory by the London Racers, taking only their second victory of the season, in overtime against the title contending Nottingham Panthers.
The Steelers were at no more than a canter against a Giants side, who held their own in the first and second periodsā?¦ only to collapse in the third with some dreadful defensive mistakes.
Mark Finney put the home side ahead in the 6th minute, a sweet move from Curt Bowen and Todd Kelman forced Steelers netminder Christian Bronsard to commit to a save, at which point the puck was laid off to Finney on the left post and simply slotted into the back of the net.
Steelers replied in the second with a Joel Irving goal on 23 minutes and two goals in two minutes in the third period, from Erik Anderson and Dion Darling, sealed the victory for the newly crowned champions.
Full Match Report to follow.
| P | TEAM | GP | W(OT) | L(OT) | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giants | 54 | 46(0) | 5(3) | 95 |
| 2 | Steelers | 54 | 41(0) | 11(2) | 84 |
| 3 | Panthers | 54 | 38(0) | 12(4) | 80 |
| 4 | Devils | 54 | 32(0) | 12(10) | 74 |
| 5 | Blaze | 54 | 32(0) | 20(2) | 66 |
| 6 | Clan | 54 | 31(0) | 19(4) | 66 |
| 7 | Stingrays | 54 | 16(0) | 34(4) | 36 |
| 8 | Stars | 54 | 13(0) | 35(6) | 32 |
| 9 | Capitals | 54 | 13(0) | 37(4) | 30 |
| 10 | Flyers | 54 | 8(0) | 40(6) | 22 |
| Points | Robert Dowd | 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Robert Dowd | 40 |
| Assists | Craig Peacock | 49 |
| PIM | Adam Keefe | 247 |