A 7-3 win over Guildford Flames secured Sheffield Steelers the 2023/24 Elite Ice Hockey League title, their first since 2016.

The Steelers had a dream start against the team they’d defeated in the Challenge Cup Final some 10 days prior, going ahead off a special move from Patrick Watling with only 2:22 played. Scott Allen doubled the lead at 6:39, before Colton Saucerman found Marc-Olivier Vallerand for the one-time powerplay finish at 14:30 to have them three ahead after 20 minutes.

Flames captain Brett Ferguson got his team on the board 93 seconds into period two, and just 20 seconds later Mike Crocock’s shot got through to suddenly make it a one-goal game. Kevin Tansey put the hosts back two ahead just under three minutes later, but the Flames were refusing to lay down were rewarded through Ferguson’s second of the night coming on the powerplay at 33:48.

The opening minutes of period three, together with the closing stages of period two, were nervy for the home side who saw the Flames come with a lot of pressure. A huge air of relief went up in the Utilita Arena when Mitchell Balmas produced something special to put the Steelers 4-2 up at 46:45. Ciampini got on a rebound at 56:27 to confirm the Steelers would lift the league trophy on Sunday, while Vallerand’s second powerplay marker of the evening added the icing on the Steelers’ cake with 68 seconds to play.

The Steelers secured the league title with five games to spare and a goal difference of +110, also having not lost back-to-back games this season. They are also rewarded with a place in next season’s Champions Hockey League.

With EIHL match report

Sheffield Steelers won the 2024 Challenge Cup with a 3-1 win over Guildford Flames at a sold-out Utilita Arena!

The home side would have wanted a good start in front of their own fans, and they got it just two minutes in – Robert Dowd’s centring pass found the on-rushing Brien Diffley to slot past Eamon McAdam. The Steelers bossed the opening stages but Guildford gradually grew into the game and were eventually rewarded when Bradley Lalonde’s shot through a screen beat Matt Greenfield at 13:48.

Paul Dixon would have been hoping his team got to the break level, but a late Patrick Walting one-timer on the powerplay put Sheffield back ahead with 19 seconds left in the period.

Mitchell Balmas deflected Diffley’s shot past Burman 4:35 into period two to extended their lead to two.

The Flames needed an early goal in period three but found an excellent Greenfield in their way. With eight minutes to play, the visitors had a series of chances on Greenfield’s net but saw the puck either roll the wrong side of the goal, or into Greenfield’s glove. Dixon pulled Burman with 2:15 to play but to no avail, as the home side held on resiliently to secure their first trophy since 2020.

With EIHL match report

Sheffield Steelers responded to Saturday’s to Belfast by putting six past the Giants on Sunday afternoon, again making sure that they have still yet to lose back-to-back games this season.

On Saturday night the Giants played most of the game with a lead on the way to their win, but on Sunday afternoon it was the Steelers who came out of the blocks flying to lead early. Daniel Ciampini scored in close after just 28 seconds, followed by Mitchell Balmas in the slot after 65 seconds, both after the Giants failed to clear their zone and turned the puck over. Adam Keefe called his timeout to re-organise his team, which did stop the flow of goals against.

Matt McLeod got on a stretch pass to score at 11:03 as the Giants pulled themselves back to within one, but some 90 seconds later a Mikko Juusola throw to the net bounced off Tyler Beskorowany into the path of Robert Dowd to make it 3-1 at 12:41. Mitchell Balmas slotted home at the far post off a deflection with 62 seconds left in the period to put themselves 4-1 ahead.

Those two goals by the Steelers certainly took the sting out of the game head into the middle period which ended scoreless. The Giants had a late powerplay to halve the arrears but a couple of drop passes to no one on the offensive blue line cost them time and possession.

Beskorowany was busy in period three as he pulled off a string of saves to keep the Steelers to just four goals on the night. Scott Allen scored the goal of the game with a between-the-legs finish with his back to Beskorowany’s net to round off the scoring with 4:56 to play, while Marc-Olivier Vallerand fired home a powerplay goal 50 seconds later as the Steelers extended their lead to 6-1.

The Steelers went back to an 11-point lead at the top of the table with the win with 10 games to play.

With EIHL match report