Match Report: 7.2.2015 - Steelers v Panthers EC/EIHL

Saturday 7^th February 2015 – Sheffield Steelers (24-9-4) v Nottingham Panthers (24-8-6) @ Motorpoint Arena. Face-off: 7pm, Erhardt Conference/Elite League

Sheffield Steelers – 4
Jeff Legue – 1^st
Mathieu Roy (2) – 1^st PP, 3^rd EN
Michael Forney – 2^nd

Nottingham Panthers – 2
Greg Jacina – 1^st PP
Charles Landry – 2^nd

Big two pointer at the Motorpoint arena between the Steelers and the Panthers and it was the Panthers that probably started the better of the two teams coming out fast but the Steelers defended well and was able to keep them out before coming into the game themselves but it was the visitors who took the lead at 8:31 when Greg Jacina found himself on the breakaway before pulling a nice move and slotting his back handed shot past Josh Unice for 1-0. It didn’t take long for the Steelers to equalise when at 10:03 O’Connor picked up a pass from Colton Fretter before skating from the blue line through several Panthers to the left of goal before laying it onto a plate for Jeff Legue to smash into the open goal from the back door for 1-1. Nottingham were awarded a penalty shot when Boxill had his legs taken from underneath him but Unice managed to make the blocker save to keep it a tie game. There were lots of penalties called for either team at 19:51 Steelers eventually made it count while 5 on 3 just as Nottingham were back to four skaters Ben O’Connor fired a snap shot from the blue line and Mathieu Roy tipped it brilliantly from in front of Kowalski to give the Steelers a 2-1 lead going into the break.

End of the 1st Period: Sheffield Steelers 2–1 Nottingham Panthers

Shots on Goal: Steelers 9-12 Panthers

Early in the second period Nottingham were causing pressure on the Steelers goal and got their reward at 22:17 when they equalised to make it 2-2 after some fantastic team play Charles Landry had the puck in the right face-off circle and he shot the puck nicely which went through traffic and managed to trickle past Unice and suddenly we had a game on. Sheffield took the lead again at 28:46 while on a 5 on 3 powerplay and some good passing play by the Steelers in the offensive zone Forney eventually had the puck on the point before firing a beautiful shot top shelf past Kowalski and the Steelers lead 3-2. There was lots of penalties called as the game was getting physical but there was no further goals and Steelers were taking a 3-2 lead into the second intermission.
End of the 2nd Period: Sheffield Steelers 3–2 Nottingham Panthers

Shots on Goal: Steelers 11–11 Panthers

Third period was really end to end stuff a cracking game for start to finish with several more penalties called on either side some the right decision some weren’t but that’s the game but the special teams off both teams were performing especially the penalty kill of the Panthers who just don’t give you any time on the puck they close you down quickly and force you to make the pass instead of the shot but with the block ticking down Nottingham pulled Kowalski for the extra attacker and at 59:35 Mathieu Roy picked up a turnover and fired from the neutral zone into the empty net to score his second of the night and to secure a 4-2 win for the Steelers.
Shots on Goal: Steelers 11–7 Panthers

FINAL SCORE: Sheffield Steelers 4–2 Nottingham Panthers

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

Sheffield         - 2-1-1-0-[20]-{1/7}-31

Nottingham  - 1-1-0-0-[26]-{2/10}-30

Sheffield Man of the Match: #81 Ben O’Connor
Nottingham Man of the Match: #41 Greg Jacina

Sheffield Points Round Up: - 11 Points
Cullen Eddy (0+2), Jeff Legue (1+0), Michael Forney (1+0), Mathieu Roy (2+0), Colton Fretter (0+1), Robert Dowd (0+1), Ben O’Connor (0+3)

Nottingham Points Round Up: - 6 Points

Robert Lachowicz (0+1), Chris Lawrence (0+1), Charles Landry (1+0), Brandon Benedict (0+1), Greg Jacina (1+0), Chris Higgins (0+1)

Referee: #26 Dean Smith

Referee: #9 Tom Darnell

Linesman: #23 Lee Young

Linesman: #38 Danny Beresford

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