The Sheffield Steeldogs were narrowly beaten 2-1 by the Leeds Knights in a hard-fought encounter that ended in dramatic and heated fashion.
The Steeldogs made the brighter start and took the lead at 6:59 of the first period. Olly Knaggs found the net with a beautiful backhand shot straight over Gospel, assisted by Michael Danečko and Jacob Brammer, giving the home side an early advantage.
The Knights responded in the second period. After sustained pressure and a spell of special teams action disrupting the flow of the game, Kieran Brown levelled the score at 13:49, finishing from assists by Owen Sobchak and Matthew Bissonnette.
With the game finely balanced heading into the third period, Leeds found what proved to be the decisive goal. Brown struck again at 49:16, converting from close range following good work by Bowdyn Neely and Sobchak to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
The Steeldogs pushed hard in the closing stages, pulling their netminder for the extra skater and using their timeout in search of an equaliser. However, the game boiled over late on, with a series of penalties and multiple fighting majors assessed to both teams in the final minute, disrupting any final momentum.
Despite a determined effort and a strong opening period, the Steeldogs were unable to find a late goal and had to settle for a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Jacob Brammer earned himself Man of the Match after a hard-fought game.
We are back on Tuesday night at IceSheffield as take on the Telford Tigers in a half-term clash. Buy your tickets HERE. BIG points to play for, make sure you’re there to witness the action!