The Bradfield Brewery Sheffield Steeldogs had a single game weekend with Telford Tigers at iceSheffield for a Sunday lunchtime faceoff.
The Dogs were missing Jason Hewitt, Jonanthan Phillips, Cam Brownley, Tate Shudra, Tom Palmer and Charlie Thompson. Brad Day started in goal for the visitors with Dmitri Zimozdra in for Sheffield.
An early penalty on the Steeldogs didn’t make for a promising start, but Brady Doxey turned frowns to smiles with a great shorthanded goal. Jack Brammer seized on a loose puck and doubled the Dogs lead at 4.24. Telford had the better of the period and Jesse Sutton got them on the board with a great individual goal before Scott McKenzie levelled at 18.16. A Jonanthan Kirk bullet from the blueline sent the Dogs in to the break 3-2 ahead.
Matt Bissonnette set James Spurr up to extend the lead and combined with Brammer for another Spurr goal at 29.50. This ended Day’s game with Matty Bloor taking over in the Tigers’ goal. Telford reset and McKenzie made it 5-3 before the end of the period.
The action and intensity in this end-to-end game continued through the final 20 minutes; the Tigers power play adding goals from Sutton and Howells that tied the game 5-5 by 46.10. When the Dogs got a power play, Brammer deflected a Lewis Bell shot past Bloor to edge them back in front. With Telford pressing, Vlads Vulkanovs broke up the play and raced through to score a beautiful breakaway goal. Ferguson charged down the wing and beat Zimozdra from a tight angle to set up a nervy end to the game. Both teams had chances and Bloor was pulled for the extra attacker but a Vulkanovs goal proved to be the game winner in a 7-6 final score.
Man of the Match honours went to Scott McKenzie and Brady Doxey but a special mention is needed for Dmitri Zimozdra who faced 67 shots during the game.
Next weekend will be much busier with the Steeldogs at home on Friday night (vs Swindon) and Sunday afternoon against MK, with a trip to Swindon on Saturday.
Book now for those home games – there aren’t many left before the end of the season.