Steelers hit nine past Stars

Photo: Dean Woolley

Nine different goal scorers fired Sheffield Steelers to a big home win over Dundee Stars on Wednesday night in the Viaplay Elite League.

Dundee led early when Ben Sokay's shot from distance went past Matt Greenfield and into the net, possibly with a deflection on its way through. That opening goal with 2:45 played was about as good as it got for the visitors who conceded three straight goals before the period was out. Evan Mosey's deflection on Sam Jones' shot levelled things, before Brett Neumann beat Anton Svensson with a shot that the Stars' goalie should have stopped through his five-hole at 10:12. Another deflected shot, this time with Tomáš Pitule getting the touch on another Jones effort form the point at 17:44, put the hosts 3-1 ahead.

Steelers captain Jonathan Phillips made it 4-1 4:16 into period two, although Ryan Verrier cut the deficit back to a pair when he beat Greenfield from a tight angle at 30:14. Brandon Whistle replied just short of two minutes later with an inch-perfect wrist shot into the top corner past Brython Preece, who replaced Svensson in the break. Romans Semjonovs' finish on a bouncing puck pulled the score back to 5-3 with 64 seconds left in the period.

Curtis Warburton replaced Greenfield in the Steelers' net for the third, and from the opposite end of the ice he saw Robert Dowd and Mason Mitchell score 85 seconds apart at the start of the period to put the home side out of sight, although an Ian Parker goal at 44:44 brought the Stars back to within three. Niklas Nevalainen's shot from the point was the Steelers' 100th of the season, the first team to reach that milestone for league goals this season, before Scott Allen finished off a nice Whistle feed at 52:53.

The Steelers hit the pipe as they searched for their tenth of the night, but that remains a milestone no team has yet to manage in one game this season.