SHEFFIELD, U.K.- Despite brave efforts and a bulldog fighting spirit, the Sheffield Steeldogs were no match for the Guildford Flames. After suffering a 6-3 defeat in the home leg of the EPL Cup final on Mar. 13, the Steeldogs faced an uphill battle as they travelled to the home of the Flames on Mar. 28 for the away leg.
Guildford dominated proceedings, recording a resounding 6-2 victory over Sheffield. The two victories meant that Guildford were crowned the new EPL Cup champions, winning 12-5 on aggregate.
It seemed to be a dream start on Mar. 28 for the Steeldogs as they quickly opened the scoring. Janis Ozolins, EPL Player of the Year, found the back of the net for Sheffield after just 55 seconds.
The Flames quickly put an end to the Steeldogs jubilation, however, with goals from David Longstaff at 4:07 and Josef Kohut at 5:17.
Guildford extended their lead early in the second period with a goal from Paul Dixon at 21:00. Matt Towe then made it four unanswered goals at 31:10.
At 38:32, Stuart Brittle scored to give the Steeldogs just a little glimmer of hope heading into the third period with the score line at 4-2.
Guildford put the game beyond all doubt, however, in the third period, with goals at 44:56 and 53:05 from Nathan Rempel and Jez Lundin respectively.
The game ended 6-2, and 12-5 on aggregate. Lloyd Gibson was awarded MOTM for his brave and continuous efforts throughout the match.
Despite the obvious disappointment, Steeldogs player/coach, Andre Payette and his team can be proud of their achievements. The Steeldogs gave it their all and never gave up despite the overwhelming odds set against them, in what was the Sheffield side’s first ever cup final.
The coming weekend brings the final two league games of the season. On Mar. 31, the home fans will see the Steeldogs take on the Bracknell Bees. The Steeldogs will then travel to the home of the Guildford Flames once more on Apr. 1, in the final game of the season.
It will be a tough weekend for the Steeldogs as they hope to secure wins on both Saturday and Sunday in the race for the 3rd place league position.
Contact the author at ryan.laycock@prohockeynews.com
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