Match Report: 22.2.2015 - Giants v Steelers EC/EIHL

Sunday 22^nd February 2015 – Belfast Giants (24-16-4) v Sheffield Steelers (27-11-4) @ Odyssey Arena. Face-off: 4pm, Erhardt Conference/Elite League

Belfast Giants – 4
Craig Peacock (2) – 1^st, 3^rd
Nathan Robinson – 2^nd
Calvin Elfring – 3^rd

Sheffield Steelers – 5
Colton Fretter (2) – 1^st, 2^nd PP
Michael Forney – 1^st PP
Robert Dowd – 1^st
Cullen Eddy - OT

A massive league game at the Odyssey and one that the Steelers had to win and what a game it was that went all the way to overtime. Steelers took the lead at 6:22 when a poor line change by the Giants let Fretter in on the breakaway and with a nice move Chubak committed and Fretter slotted easily into the open goal. It was soon 2-0 at 10:00 when Steelers were pressing up high on the powerplay and it was Mathieu Roy that forced a save out of Chubak down low but the Giants netminder had lost the puck and it tricked under him and Forney finished it into the empty net. Giants would have a goal waved off for what looked like goalie interference but from the resulting face off Craig Peacock fired a nice snap shot past Woolhouse at his near post at 11:58 to bring the home side within one goal. At 18:42 Steelers made it 3-1 when Mosienko skated zone to zone he skated down the left hand side and managed to throw the puck in front of goal and Robert Dowd got his stick on the end of it to tip past Chubak and that’s how it stayed going into the break.

End of the 1st Period: Belfast Giants 1–3 Sheffield Steelers

Shots on Goal: Giants 10-13 Steelers

Into the second period it was Steelers who carried on the front foot and made it 4-1 at 31:21 while on the man advantage again it was hard work by Mosienko behind the goal who eventually found Dowd and his shot was saved by Chubak and Fretter was there to shoot the rebound into the open goal. Belfast pulled another goal back at 33:51 when former Panthers Nathan Robinson was played through 1 on 1 and he shot blocker side high on Woolhouse to bring the Giants within two goals. Giants went into the second intermission two goals down knowing they would need a big third session to get back into the game.
End of the 2nd Period: Belfast Giants 2–4 Sheffield Steelers

Shots on Goal: Giants 6–11 Steelers

Third period got underway and it was a high intensity period and Belfast were unlucky not to score early when on the breakaway Woolhouse came out to deny Giants and then Fretter blocked a shot on the door step before Dowd blocked the rebound. Belfast pulled it within one goal at 48:10 when Elfring was in front of goal and somehow managed to shoot his backhand past Woolhouse and it was 4-3 to the Steelers with all the momentum with the Giants. Belfast levelled the game at 53:41 when Peacock to the right of Woolhouse fired a shot that rebounded off the Sheffield netminder and in to level the game at 4-4 and this game was going to overtime.
End of the 3rd Period: Belfast Giants 4-4 Sheffield Steelers
Shots on Goal: Giants 11–9 Steelers

Into Overtime and Sheffield won the game at 61:09 when Cullen Eddy broke 3v1 and fired a beauty of a snap shot that beat Carsen Chubak to give the Steelers their first win at the Odyssey this season in their final visit.
Shot on Goal: Giants 0-2 Steelers

FINAL SCORE: Belfast Giants 4–5 Sheffield Steelers OT

Boxscore (1st-2nd-3rd-OT-[PIM]-{PP}-S)

Belfast     - 1-1-2-0-[14]-{0/1}-27

Sheffield - 3-1-0-1-[4]-{2/6}-35

Belfast Man of the Match: #71 Craig Peacock
Sheffield Man of the Match: #67 Colton Fretter

Belfast Points Round Up: - 12 Points
Evan Cheverie (0+1), Ray Sawada (0+1), David Phillips (0+1), Mike Kompon (0+1), Colin Shields (0+1), Kevin Saurette (0+1), Calvin Elfring (1+1), Cody Brookwell (0+1), Craig Peacock (2+0), Nathan Robinson (1+0)

Sheffield Points Round Up: - 13 Points

Gord Baldwin (0+1), Cullen Eddy (1+0), Michael Forney (1+0), Mathieu Roy (0+1), Tomas Petruska (0+1), Tyler Mosienko (0+2), Colton Fretter (2+0), Darrell Hay (0+1), Robert Dowd (1+2)

Referee: #9 Tom Darnell

Referee: #27 Mike Hicks

Linesman: #38 Danny Beresford

Linesman: #25 Andy Dalton

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