THERE’S something about playing on the road that agrees with both teams whenever Sheffield Steelers and Coventry Blaze come together this season.

The fifth meeting so far between the two teams in the 2025-26 Elite League campaign, ended up with an away win, Coventry replicating their Challenge Cup win at the Utilita Arena from back in October - when they won 2-0 - with a 3-1 triumph at the same venue on Saturday night.

The Steelers’ first regulation loss since November 9 - and only their second in their last 19 games - was tempered slightly when news of leaders Nottingham Panthers’ 3-2 overtime defeat at Dundee Stars filtered through keeping the teams’ just two points apart ahead of Sunday night’s schedule.

For Steelers’ head coach Aaron Fox, his team’s fifth home reverse of the season in all formats provided a timely invaluable lesson.

STRIKE ONE: Colton Saucerman came back to haunt former club Sheffield Steelers when he opened the scoring for Coventry Blaze on Saturday night. Picture: Dean Woolley/Steelers Media.

placeholder image — STRIKE ONE: Colton Saucerman came back to haunt former club Sheffield Steelers when he opened the scoring for Coventry Blaze on Saturday night. Picture: Dean Woolley/Steelers Media.

“We’ve played some really, really good hockey here as of late,” said a “disappointed” Fox. “But this is a lesson learned for if you’re not switched on to do the little things and out-compete your opponent.

“We’ve seen them earlier in this year come into this barn and beat us 2-0 as well, so we know they can play.

“It wasn’t a great first period and I felt like that was the tone-setter for us. They came out and out-worked and out-competed us in the first period.

“I thought our third period was probably our best, but if you don’t play 60 minutes and you leave the game late like that, anything can happen.”

In terms of scoring chances, the Steelers outshot the Blaze in every frame, overall by 2-to-1, but they came up against a resolute Mat Robson in the visitors’ goal.

When the deadlock was eventually broken after a keenly-fought first 20 minutes, it came from a familiar face in Colton Saucerman, the former Steelers’ defenceman initially keeping the puck in the offensive zone, seeing his first shot repelled by Matt Greenfield before rounding the net and firing home from in front at 26.23 after being found by Adam Robbins.

Mikko Jussola took just 31 seconds to drag the hosts level when he drove down the right and cut inside before lifting the puck past Robson.

But that was as good as it got for the Steelers, falling behind again when Elijiah Barriga beat Greenwood from the top of the right circle at 50.58 before seeing both points disappear entirely when Matthew Gleason scored an empty-netter with 14 seconds remaining.