NIHL National Division: Sheffield Steeldogs see off Leeds Chiefs in opening weekend thriller

(Image permission: Cerys Molloy Photography)

Sheffield Steeldogs vs Leeds Chiefs
iceSheffield
Sunday, 15th September, 2019
National Division

Score: Sheffield Steeldogs 3 – 1 Leeds Chiefs
(0-0, 1-1, 2-0)

Officials

Referees: Chris Wells & Oliver Trusswell
Linesmen: Faye Andrews & Paul Staniforth

Starting netminders

Leeds Chiefs – Sam Gospel
Sheffield Steeldogs – Dimo Zimozdra

(Image permission: Cerys Molloy Photography)

Period 1

The game started as a pretty fast-flowing game with reasonable chances from both sides.

Chiefs tested the Steeldogs’ ‘D’ before the action broke down to the other end, but the Chiefs’ defence held well. The first penalty in the Chiefs’ history was picked up by club captain Luke Boothroyd at 8:43 for hooking.

The game appeared to settle down with both teams making good chances, but just failing to finish off their attempts. The second penalty of the game again went to Leeds with a bench minor for too many men on the ice at 18:58, once again putting the home side on the power play.

The Chiefs’ penalty kill, marshalled alternately by player/coach Sam Zajac and Boothroyd held firm, closing down the play and making long clearances to break down the ice. Possibly the best chance of the opening period to get a point on the board fell to Steeldogs’ import Vladimir Luka, ripping a cannon of a shot that was deflected high by a timely Chiefs stick.

The period ended with the score at 0-0 and the Steeldogs with a little under half of their powerplay remaining.

Period 2

The period started with the Steeldogs rebuilding their momentum in the powerplay, the first quality shot of the period falling to the Steeldogs second new import, Jan Danacek, that required Sam Gospel in the Chiefs’ net to stretch to stop. Seconds later Lewis Bell went close from a close range rebound shot, neatly gathered by Gospel.

As the teams returned to even strength, the Chiefs began to take control of the game. The following play saw Radek Meidl centre the puck for a shot that looked like it could have slid under Steeldogs’ netminder Dimo Zimozdra, the sprawl trapped the puck for the save.

The action picked up as the teams grew into the game, with Steeldogs beginning to force saves from Gospel with the Chiefs ‘D’ using quick stick work to try and clear the zone, and Dima working as hard at the other end aided by Steeldogs players throwing their bodies in the way to repeatedly block shots. In this run, Ash Calvert of the Steeldogs and Chris Sykes for the Chiefs came closest to breaking the deadlock.

The first goal of the game, (and first of the season), came as the result of delayed penalty call against Alex Brown for holding. Steve Moore and James Archer worked the puck free before Archer found Meidl who will now be recorded in history as the scorer of Leeds’ first ever league goal at 25:45.

The Steeldogs’ trouble continued with Cameron Brownley called for slashing at the whistle giving the Chiefs, fresh from the score a power play opportunity. The Chiefs’ powerplay looked very slick with plenty of fast, concise passing to move the puck swiftly up the ice. However, the Steeldogs’ industrial approach to defence paid off, putting their bodies, and in the case of Lewis Bell, his face in the way of shots to keep the score at 0-1.

However, the run of play shifted towards the Steeldogs, as a couple of quick short-handed break outs, including a very well-timed one by Tim Smith, began to cause some worrying moments for the visitors.

A similar short-handed chance for Kieran Brown came to an end though after being clipped by Steve Moore, giving the Steeldogs a chance on the powerplay. The Chiefs continued their solid penalty kill efforts and at one point managed to set Andres Kopstals free with his own short handed break for the Chiefs before his shot was deflected skywards.

With 40 seconds remaining, Danacek fired a giant shot on Gospel that had to be deflected by the netminder’s stick, and may have had an influence on a later event. The Steeldogs thought they had equalised at 32:23 from a Charlie Thompson shot, however the goal was waived off due to netminder interference immediately by one of the referees.

The next chance to equalise came as Nathan Salem drove in on the visitors goal. The attempt was gathered in swiftly, however this led to a brief Telford Tigers reunion, with Salem and Gospel joined by former teammate Zajac in a little push and shove in front of the goal.

The Chiefs looked to be in trouble halfway through the game after Meidl picked up an interference penalty at 33:14. This was compounded when, eight seconds later, Kopstals hit the ice and Leeds were hit with a bench minor for too many imports on the ice.

The Chiefs’ penalty kill worked well, growing in confidence through the 5-on-3 kill, although at one point Zajac was called upon to use some nifty stickwork to redirect a good Steeldogs shot from point blank range.

However, the Steeldogs were beginning to look a bit disorganised towards the end of the second period with the Chiefs taking control of the game. Despite this, Luka again put Gospel to the test forcing a couple of good saves.

At the other end, the Steelsdogs defence had to move swiftly to hussle former ‘Dog James Archer off the puck after a long pass for Meidl set him free.

The Chiefs looked like they would be extending their lead after a slashing call against Steeldogs youngster Jordan Griffin put the Chiefs on the powerplay again.

However, the goal when it came was at the other end of the ice, with Salem making a fast pass to Brown who put away the equaliser at 39.01 on a short-handed goal.

The period ended with the sides still deadlocked at 1-1.

(Image permission: Cerys Molloy Photography)

Period 3

The third period began with an unusual incident as Chiefs netminder Sam Gospel broke his stick signalling end of their powerplay. At the same time, the Chiefs looked to have beaten Zimozdra for a second time, only to be denied by the pipework.

In the very next play, still without a stick, Gospel was forced to make a neat glove save to get the game blown dead so he could grab a replacement.

A little over a minute later, Meidl again rang the pipework before the action returned to the other end following a big shot block by Steeldogs’ player/coach, Ben Morgan, set Danacek free up the ice before Brownley fired home to give the Steeldogs the lead at 44:44.

Shortly afterwards, Craig Elliot took a two-minute break after being called for holding the stick. This let the Chiefs powerplay loose again with Adam Barnes walking the puck around the Steeldogs defence until being dispossessed.

However, with yet another body block by Morgan causing the turn over that fell to Brown, it was the youngster who darted up the ice to give the Steeldogs their third goal of the evening, and his second SHG of the night.

As the play resumed and the power playwound down, Meidl beat Zimozdra only to be frustrated by the pipework again. As the game hit the 50-minute mark, the Chiefs began a strong run of play. This was aided by Elliot who picked up his second penalty of the evening, this time for slashing at 52:48.

One of the best chances for the Chiefs of the evening to get one back occurred halfway through the powerplay with a ripping shot from the hash marks again being saved by the goal frame. Then a short handed effort by the Dogs came off of the bench side goal post and under Gospel, only to slide along the goal line and out with a little over five minutes remaining.

Shortly after that, the Chiefs were back on the penalty kill after Archer received a two-minute minor for illegal equipment at 54.24. The Steeldogs’ powerplay moved the puck well but with few actual shots, and the Chiefs penalty kill was aided when Elliot picked up his third penalty of the evening at 55:11 for hooking.

Just before the final two minute mark, linesman Andrews had her feet taken out from under her during the face-off causing a fairly hard landing, however very swiftly shook that off before Morgan, attempting to clear the puck down the ice off of the plexi, instead ricoched the puck into the glass from the back of her helmet. Despite clearly being in significant discomfort, Andrews took full roll for the rest of the game.

At 57:25 frustrations boiled over following the last real drive on the Chiefs net. Bell appeared to go down following a shove from behind. At which point tempers frayed and Smith for the home side and Richard Bentham for the visitors exchanged blows before dragging each other to the ice.

Once the dust had settled, Bentham saw out the game in the penalty box receiving two minutes for hooking and 2+2 for fighting. On the Steeldogs side, Smith sat 2+2 for fighting while Bell sat two minutes for diving. The penalties balanced and were deemed coincidental leaving both teams playing 5-on-5.

With the game now out of steam the clock wound down to a final score of Sheffield Steeldogs 3-1 Leeds Chiefs.

The Man-Of-The-Match awards went to Radek Meidl for Leeds and Kieran Brown for Sheffield.

(Image permission: Peter Best Photography)

(Image permission: Peter Best Photography)

Views from the coaches

Sam Zajac – Leeds Chiefs:

“I think there are a lot of positives, there was a lot of time in the game where we dominated. I mean we haven’t been together long, we’ve been on the ice once as a team.

“The three goals all came from breakdowns, one bad pitch from me on the PP, one broken play where we tried to move the puck forwards and another shorty. If we cut out the mistakes we’d be looking at a 1-1 game.

“We’re going to have time over the next couple of weeks to put that right and there’s been some promising performances from a lot of the players. I think we do need to work on special teams, we’re just not quite clicking, maybe not got the right combinations, but that’s going to come with time.

On Sheffield: “We respect that team over there a lot, hopefully they’ll have a lot of respect for what we’re trying to do going forwards.”

Ben Morgan – Sheffield Steeldogs

“That second period we let a couple of loose plays get the better of us which led to Leeds first goal. To be fair though we don’t have concrete lines, especially forward lines, we’re still tinkering and experimenting, even with special teams, so it’s an opportunity for guys to see what they’ve got and make a name for themselves.

“From our point of view it was game management and making sure we weren’t giving away pucks too easily, we’ve got a core, 60% of the players that have been together for 3, 4 5 or 6 years so they should know how each other play and it’s just a case of fine tweaking over the next couple of weeks.

On Leeds: – It’s only good for the league, and especially for the north part of the league, it’s been fantastic to see 150 – 200 Leeds fans here tonight, it’s a fantastic turn out for them and I wish Sammy (Zajac), and the Leeds organisation all the best of luck in making sure they’ve got a good following this season, and if we can create a rivalry as good as it is with Hull (Pirates), then it’s only going to be win/win for the clubs involved.

Box Scores:

Netminders:

Of Note:

• Radek Meidl is now on record as having scored the Leeds Chiefs’ first ever goal.
• Richard Bentham is the most penalised player in Chiefs’ history with six PIMS.
• Sheffield Steeldogs’ Kieran Brown’s two goals bring him up to a total of five in three games. All five have been on special team plays, (4xSHG and 1xPP).

Overall Impressions

Leeds look very good for a team that have had no pre-season games, only one training session and no home rink at the moment. Zajac has pulled together a good squad, and while some of his special teams need work, the team appear to be punching above their weight at the moment.

Sheffield have a solid work eithic and the development deal with the Steelers two-way players fitting in very well indeed. The defence needs some work, but there is no doubt that the players are fully committed to the team as evidenced by their willingness to put their bodies on the line to block shots with their player/coach leading by example.