Sheffield Steelers could be champions tonight

Steeler Brandon Whistle wheels away at Nottingham. Picture: Dean Woolley

Winning the league on home ice is the Holy Grail for EIHL teams.

And around 9,000 fans will hopefully witness the feat at Sheffield Arena tonight (Sunday).

Sheffield Steelers 4-2 victory at Nottingham Panthers on Saturday meant they need just two more points to become champions.

They will try to achieve that against Guildford Flames, the team they beat in the Challenge Cup final recently.

They will be buoyed by the performance against Panthers, particularly in the later stages of Saturday’s match.

The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham has been something of a playground for Steelers and their supporters this season.

They started off the campaign with a thumping 6-0 victory there and have won the three subsequent encounters.

But the scorelines had been getting tighter and Panthers certainly did not want to help usher the league title towards their local adversaries any quicker than necessary,

Scrum down for the Steelers at Nottingham Picture: Dean Woolley

Bottom of the league Notts took the lead twice but were outgunned over 60 minutes.

Alexander Lunsjo put them ahead, but Dominic Cormier equalised, the 200th Steeler goal of this swashbuckling league campaign

Jordan Kelsall made it 2-1; however from then on it was all Steelers on the scoreboard.

Colton Saucerman, Mitchell Balmas, and Josh Nicholls spread the goals between them to inflict Panthers’ 31st defeat of a season to forget.

Steelers’ coach Aaron Fox said the plan had worked to wear down an undermanned back end and paid tribute to the way his side always seems to come on strong in the final session.

Now the club is in the position to bring home the trophy fans haven’t seen since 2016.