Sheffield Steelers 'relentless' to keep winning run intact against Nottingham Panthers
THERE is clearly no quit in Sheffield Steelers this season.
Aaron Fox’s team made it eight straight wins in all competitions after twice coming from two goals down against Nottingham Panthers in the Challenge Cup at the Utilita Arena.
It fell to captain Robert Dowd to apply the finishing touch for a 4-3 overtime win that made it 20 in a row against the Panthers and leaves the Steelers as the only unbeaten team in Group A.
Having seen his players outshoot the visitors 45-17 across 60 minutes, head coach Fox felt they eventually got what their efforts deserved.
“It was a relentless effort from our group,” said Fox. “And I felt like when it was 3-1 it didn’t deserve to be 3-1.
“They had a couple of goals off the run of play there, but the boys stuck with it and I felt like for the last 40 minutes our substance really showed.
"Even though we lost the second period 2-1, I think the shots were like 39-7 in the second and third and I thought Rok (Stojanovic, Panthers goalie) was outstanding and kept them in that hockey game for as long as he could.”
Otto Nieminen got the Panthers ahead at 14.02 with his effort being enhanced by Matt Alfaro from a similar position at the top of the right circle, this time on the power play at 21.28.
Daniel Leavens halved the deficit off a rebound 63 seconds later, but the Steelers found themselves two adrift again before the halfway point through a Reid Stefanson strike.
Eventually, though, the Steelers made their dominance count, Leavens doubling his tally at 46.51 before the teams were level when Kevin Tansey’s effort from distance eluded Stojanovic at 57.27.
Dowd then benefitted from good approach work by Daniel Ciampini to force home the winner less than two minutes into overtime.