Dundee Stars moved five points clear of last place with a 6-5 overtime win in Sheffield, a result that saw the Steelers slip to third.
Sheffield opened the scoring inside five minutes when Jordon Southorn tipped home Mikko Juusola’s pass in front. Dundee responded quickly, with Keanu Yamamoto finishing a rebound after good work from Spencer Naas and Zach Taylor.
The Steelers regained the lead through Stephen Harper following a stretch pass from Joona Huttula, but Dundee hit back almost immediately as Naas converted into an empty net after a breakaway chance was saved.
The Stars then edged ahead on the powerplay through Zach Taylor, before extending their lead as Otto Nieminen finished from close range to make it 4-2.
“The first period pretty much did us in,” admitted Steelers’ Brien Diffley. “We were in the same position as them having had the bus trip last night and being in the same game. We weren’t ready to come out and be ready to play, and that’s why they got four in the first.”
Sheffield pulled one back early in the second period through Brett Ritchie, but Dundee restored their two-goal advantage on the powerplay, with Yamamoto scoring his second of the night.
The Steelers responded through Diffley before Mitchell Heard tied the game with six minutes remaining in the period, completing a five-goal second period.
“Right now we’re trying to build so we can win that trophy at the end of the season,” explained Diffley. “We want to build momentum with each game. Obviously it hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to, but everything now is about building momentum going into the playoffs.”
A goalless third period sent the game to overtime, where Otto Nieminen struck the winner on the rebound to secure Dundee’s first win of the season over Sheffield.
With EIHL match report
