Steely Sheffield Leave Belfast With Two Points

First Period

The Giants could not have asked for a better start against the reigning champions as, just 39 seconds in, Scott Conway moved the puck to the left and Mike Lee whistled home a one-timer from the hash marks on his first shift of the night to open an early lead. (1-0)

The Steelers were not about to lie down and Tom McCollum was called into a pair of saves with a particularly impressive stop to deny Mark Simpson to hold the lead before his opposite number Matthew Greenfield reacted well to stop an Elijiah Barriga flick on. Barriga would soon serve a penalty after McCollum was penalised for delay of game.

This penalty was killed as was one given against Bobo Carpenter for interference on 16:46 before Greenfield denied Josh Roach after a neat Belfast move. This meant the hosts held their one goal lead going into the first intermission.

Second Period

39 appeared to be the Giants’ lucky number of the night as it took that same amount of time into the second period for the Giants to double their lead. This time it was Grant Mismash who had the simplest of tasks to slide the puck into the empty net after well-worked and selfless build-up from Mark Cooper and Ben Lake. (2-0)

At this point, everything was going to plan for Adam Keefe’s men but Sheffield came roaring back into the game shortly after. After they killed a penalty given against Simpson, Maxim Golod capitalised on an errant Giants pass and finished clinically to halve the deficit (2-1). The two goal-scorers would clash shortly after with Golod and Mismash sent to the box and the Giants man given a further two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. It was the visitors who would make the most of their man advantage with Patrick Watling putting the finishing touches on Mitchell Balmas’ pass. (2-2) The visitors went after more and, but for McCollum, might have got it before the second interval. The New York-born goalie made a pair of saves from Dominic Cormier as went into the final period level.

Third Period

The men in orange didn’t let the intermission slow their momentum as they came out strong to begin the last. They were ahead for the first time of the night five minutes in as Joona Huttula scored with a vicious shot from the left that McCollum got a glove to but couldn’t keep out. (2-3) The Giants tried to answer back but their best chances came from JJ Piccinich who had a close-range effort smothered before Greenfield reacted well to deny a tipped shot from Bo Hanson. It would get worse for the hosts as the sizeable travelling support were given reason to celebrate again thanks to Golod’s second of the game on 46:29. (2-4)

The home support roared their team on and a rasper from Josh Roach fuelled hope of a comeback (3-4) but, with replacement goalie Jackson Whistle sacrificed for an extra skater, Mikko Juusola slid into the empty net with 15 seconds remaining to secure a road win for Aaron Fox’s side. (3-5)

Next Up

The Giants head on the road for a game against Coventry Blaze on Sunday. Face-off is at 5:30pm before the men in teal return home for a big weekend double-header against the Nottingham Panthers next Friday and Saturday (10^th and 11^th). You can get tickets for both games here.