Sheffield Steelers, Sheffield Steeldogs and Leeds Knights – Saturday night review
It was the perfect way to put the defeat at Eisbaren Berlin on Tuesday night firmly behind them and switch their focus back to the domestic scene.
The Steelers have three titles to defend after last season’s grand slam efforts and are currently well-placed in their defence of the jewel in the crown, the regular season championship.
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Hide AdDefenceman Kevin Tansey led the way in Altrincham for the Steelers with a hat-trick, with Maxim Golod picking up his first goals for the team since his recent switch from HC Nove Zamky in Slovakia.
There were also goals from Daniel Leavens, Daniel Ciampini and Nathan Ripley, the 22-year-old forward called up from Sheffield Steeldogs for his first league appearance of the season.
Head coach Aaron Fox – without first-choice netminder Matt Greenfield, captain Robert Dowd and defenceman Veeti Vainio through injury – felt the final scoreline flattered his team slightly.
“We were not very good the first 10-15 minutes,” said Fox. “Manchester put it on us pretty good and Marco (De Filippo, goalie) stood on his head. We were very lucky to be up 2-1 after the first period.
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Hide Ad“But then our game got better as the game went on and sometimes less is more in this building, you’ve got to make hard plays, keep pucks moving and get pucks to the net when you can and we did that late and the scoreline ran away from Manchester a little bit.


“If somebody had told me after 10 minutes that we’d have won 8-3 after we had played up to that point, I wouldn’t have believed them, so it was a good win.”
The game also marked Fox’s 223rd victory as Steelers head coach, most in club history.
WALKER SOMMER showed exactly why Sheffield Steeldogs brought him on board for the 2024-25 NIHL National season on Saturday night.
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Hide AdAlready the team’s leading scorer - and fourth overall for the league - the 28-year-old US forward has already established himself a firm fans’ favourite down at Ice Sheffield.


That no doubt became even more the case after those home fans saw him display perfect timing when scoring the game-winning goal with just nine seconds remaining in regulation to secure a 3-2 triumph over Swindon Wildcats.
It was a vital win for Ben Morgan’s team, keeping them third in the standings and closing the gap on second-placed Leeds Knights ahead of Sunday’s round of games.
It also put some welcome distance between themselves and the Wildcats - again, three points - as the mid-table congestion in the regular season standings from top to seventh continues.
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Hide AdAfter a goalless first period, the Steeldogs fell behind when player-coach Aaron Nell put the visitors ahead less than two minutes into the middle section.
Ivan Björkly-Nordström levelled just under five minutes later and the hosts found themselves ahead for the first time just before the second intermission when Elmeri Hallfors converted a penalty shot, going five-hole on Renny Marr at 38.35.
The Wildcats hauled themselves level 47.43 through Tyler Plews and overtime looked the most likely outcome until Sommer cut in from the left and beat Marr from a tight angle to earn the hosts their 12th win of the campaign.
LEEDS KNIGHTS lost 6-2 at Milton Keynes Lightning, who replaced them at the top of the standings.
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Hide AdMatt Haywood quickly cancelled out Ross Venus’s 22nd-minute opener, but the Knights were already 5-1 down before they got on the board again through Matt Barron’s power play marker in the 57th minute, Milique Martelly adding an empty-netter for the hosts with 57 seconds remaining.
Sunday games – Elite League: Sheffield Steelers v Dundee Stars (4pm).
NIHL National: Hull Seahawks v Swindon Wildcats (5.30pm); Leeds Knights v Peterborough Phantoms (5.15pm), Telford Tigers v Sheffield Steeldogs (6pm).