Match Report: 29.11.2014 - Blaze v Steelers EC/EIHL

Saturday 29^th November 2014 – Coventry Blaze (8-9-1) v Sheffield Steelers (13-4-0) @ SkyDome Arena. Face-off: 7pm, Erhardt Conference/Elite League

Coventry Blaze – 6
Jereme Tendler (2) – 2^nd, 2^nd PP
Cale Tanaka – 2^nd
Kyle Bochek – 2^nd
Russell Cowley – 2^nd
Steven Goertzen – 3^rd PP

Sheffield Steelers – 2
Robert Dowd – 1^st PP
Michael Forney – 3^rd

The game got underway and Coventry would receive an early powerplay as Phil Hill was called for hooking but Sheffield would keep the home side to the edges and almost went ahead after Sarich saw his shot tipped wide by Phillips after O’Connor’s shot was blocked, Sheffield would kill the penalty and it would be all Sheffield dominating the first session as Brian Stewart was standing on his head against the visitors, Coventry was being massively out shot but went very close to opening the scoring when Ross Venus saw his back hand go just wide of Frank Doyle’s goal but former Steeler Steven Goertzen would get called for tripping and Sheffield would have a go on the man advantage and again it was all Sheffield with the visitors having chance after chances but at 18:09 Sheffield would open the scoring on the man advantage as Mosienko won the face-off to Stewart’s left the puck dropped to Dowd who released a wrist shot to beat the Blaze netminder to give the Steelers a 1-0 lead going into the break.

End of the 1st Period: Coventry Blaze 0–1 Sheffield Steelers

Shots on Goal: Blaze 7-21 Steelers

Coventry came out for the second period all guns blazing and absolutely blitz the visitors as Blaze dumped one in and hard work by Tanaka ended up with him in front but Doyle saved brilliant and again soon after Ashley Tait exchanged passes with Ryan O’Marra he could only shoot into the glove of Doyle but Coventry were soon level when at 24:58 Tendler managed to skate through 1 on 1 with Doyle and he fired a nice back handed shot that went through Doyle for 1-1. They were almost ahead after Sindel found himself all alone in front of goal but he saw his one timer fantastically caught by Doyle. At 28:44 Coventry took the lead when straight off the draw Tanaka managed to get in front of goal and shoot through the five hole of Doyle for 2-1 and it was soon 3-1 at 31:02 when Tanaka was behind the goal before he threw the puck in front of goal for Kyle Bochek to score from close range. It could have been worse for the Steelers as Ben Arnt shot went over Doyle onto the crossbar and back of the goalkeeper before Hay cleared it off the line but in the next attack it was 4-1 at 36:06 when Tanaka showed some great skating before playing a ross ice pass to Cowley who had the whole goal to aim at and the Blaze man put it in off the leg of Doyle, Coventry would then go on the man advantage and it would take them long to make it count when at 37:39 as pass from Tait had Tendler all alone at the back door who finished nicely for his second of the game and Coventry would go into the break 5-1 up after an absolutely dreadful middle session by the visitors.
End of the 2nd Period: Coventry Blaze 5–1 Sheffield Steelers

Shots on Goal: Blaze 16–15 Steelers

Sheffield came into the third trying to find some way back in to the game after they only had themselves to blame for the shambles that was the second period and they started it on the 5 on 3 man advantage and came out fast as Fretter shot was just tipped wide of goal and it was then Fretter who found himself all alone in front of Stewart after O’Connor managed to keep the puck in the zone but he couldn’t get his backhanded shot through Stewart and then Sheffield was called for too many men and Coventry got to work on the man advantage and at 48:13 it was that inspirational captain from last season as Goertzen found himself in possession at the top of the faceoff circle and he fired a sweet wrist shot past Doyle for 6-1. Sheffield would pull another goal back at 53:27 when Forney was at the back door to slot the puck past Stewart with ease and Sheffield did have the puck in the net again after Roy had slotted away a rebound but referee Dean Smith had already blown the whistle when he said Stewart had a puck covered up that he cleared didn’t but it would be a dreadful road game for the Steelers and it doesn’t get any easier as they travel to the reigning champions less than 24 hours later.
Shots on Goal: Blaze 6–18 Steelers

FINAL SCORE: Coventry Blaze 6–2 Sheffield Steelers

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

Coventry - 0-5-1-0-[14]-{2/5}-29

Sheffield - 1-0-1-0-[10]-{1/7}-54

Coventry Man of the Match: #27 Jereme Tendler
Sheffield Man of the Match: #81 Ben O’Connor

Coventry Points Round Up: - 17 Points
Ben Arnt (0+3), Cale Tanaka (1+2), Kyle Bochek (1+1), Russell Cowley (1+0), Steven Goertzen (1+0), Ashley Tait (0+2), Justin DaCosta (0+2), Jereme Tendler (2+0), Craig Cescon (0+1)

Sheffield Points Round Up: - 3 Points

Michael Forney (1+0), Tyler Mosienko (0+1), Robert Dowd (1+0)

Referee: #26 Dean Smith

Referee: #28 Jonny Liptrott

Linesman: #23 Lee Young

Linesman: #38 Danny Beresford

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