Sheffield Steelers’ Elite League title hopes crushed on home ice by Belfast Giants

The Sheffield Steelers’ Elite League title challenge ended in Sunday night’s shoot-out defeat at home to the Belfast Giants.

Any kind of win for leaders Giants would see the trophy head back across the Irish Sea and the Steelers needed victory to take the title race into the final week.

Neither regulation time nor sudden death overtime could separate the top two and it took six rounds of penalty shots for a winner to be found.

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The visitors got off to a flying start with a powerplay goal after just 92 seconds, Marc Cooper finding the net just seconds after the Steelers had struck the post shorthanded.

It was a different story at the start of the second period, Tanner Eberle roofing a shot from the left face-off circle after just 38 seconds, making it 1-1.

Both Rok Stojanovič and Tyler Beskorowany stood on their heads to keep the score level and with time running out in the third period the Giants survived a scramble in the crease that dislodged the net as the puck threatened to cross the line. They survived the ensuing video review, too and some late pressure, before the tension got the better of Sam Ruopp and Marc-Olivier Vallerand whose tempers frayed on the buzzer.

Beskorowany saved from John Armstrong in overtime and Stojanovič denied Jeff Baum at the other end with penalty shots beckoning.

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The crossbar twice came to Belfast’s rescue in the shootout and after Beskorowany gloved Armstrong’s sudden death effort, Scott Conway scored the title-winning goal.

Belfas Giants'players celebrate Scott Conway's shoot-out winner, the golden goal which sealed his team's Elite League title at the expense of hosts' Sheffield Steelers. Picture: Dean Woolley.Belfas Giants'players celebrate Scott Conway's shoot-out winner, the golden goal which sealed his team's Elite League title at the expense of hosts' Sheffield Steelers. Picture: Dean Woolley.
Belfas Giants'players celebrate Scott Conway's shoot-out winner, the golden goal which sealed his team's Elite League title at the expense of hosts' Sheffield Steelers. Picture: Dean Woolley.

On Saturday, the Giants raced into a two-goal lead inside 10 minutes.

Mark Cooper struck on the power play before Scott Conway broke clear, switched the play to David Goodwin on the right who fed JJ Piccinich at the back-post for a simple tap-in at 8.41.

It got worse for the hosts when Piccinich pounced on a rebound from Conway’s shot to make it 3-0.

The Steelers got on the board at 43.06 via Tanner Eberle, but that was as close as they got.

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