Sheffield Steelers: City's championship-winning league season ends in rare defeat

Their side concluded the regular EIHL programme at Belfast Giants on Saturday.

While their last game ended in a rare defeat, it didn't really matter in the great scheme of things.

At the end of 60 minutes, Sheffield had completed 54 games, won 45 of them, banking 91 title-winning points.

Compare that with Belfast, who won the coveted title last year with 84 points.

Steelers came third in that race, now it was Giants' turn to finish in the same spot.

The Northern Irish went on to secure the Play Offs and the treble, back then.

The Orange Army hopes fate will dictate that it is Sheffield's turn to do the same.

No one would be surprised if Steelers achieved that.

They are a much stronger, confident and consistent side than the 2022-23 version, which ended seven points adrift of Belfast's top spot.

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Saturday night's game was a tight affair not accurately represented by the 4-1 scoreline.

Both goalies had kept the puck at bay until the 46th minute, when Sheffield took the lead through Scott Allen, from Brett Neumann and Daniel Ciampini.

The physical, hard-skating host side, beaten 4-3 in overtime by Aaron Fox's side on the same pad the night before, suddenly found their rhythm.

In 12 minutes they hit the net four times, Greg Printz's equaliser was followed by a controversial penalty shot for Will Cullen, then Daniel Tedesco got in the act and Mark Cooper stroked home an empty netter.

Sheffield players skated off with expressions betraying the level of sadness at losing a dead rubber game.

That says a lot about their commitment to the cause.

Coach Fox said afterwards that he wasn't disappointed given the fact his side had already won the title.

He disputed the award of Belfast's penalty shot, but was impressed by how his skaters had battled to the end.

His opposite number Adam Keefe was pleased there was some positive momentum at the end of the regular campaign.

The squad is looking forward to a day off on Monday, before plotting to take the Play Offs by storm, starting with their home quarter final leg on Friday at iceSheffield, a venue that is already sold-out.

Fox concluded that it had been a "long, grinding season" but he hoped he'd have players with injury issues like Robert Dowd and Marco Vallerand back in contention.