Steelers win to set up trophy game

Photo: Scott Wiggins

Sheffield Steelers came out on top of Coventry Blaze with a 7-4 victory, setting them up for a shot at the league title in Cardiff on Wednesday night.

The teams combined for nine goals inside the opening half an hour at the Skydome, with a crowd of 2,065 in attendance.

Just under two and a half minutes in, Daniel Ciampini was left alone for a moment enough to slap home a Scott Allen pass and put the hosts ahead. Alessio Lucianio levelled with a nice tip on a Mitch Cook pass at 2:42, but 48 seconds later Robert Dowd had the visitors back ahead.Marc-Olivier Vallerand netted shorthanded at 10:40 to put the Steelers 3-1 up, only for John Curran to pull one back at 15:22. Exactly three minutes later, Allen put the Steelers 4-2 ahead heading into the break.

Luciani pulled another back for Coventry 3:28 into period two, but a mistake form Taran Kozun gifted Vallerand his second of the night and the Steelers' fifth. Cole Shudra scored the game's ninth goal at 27:17 to put the Steelers 6-3 up.

Luciani made it a hat trick with 8:48 to play in the final period, but Ciampini finished off the scoring, shorthanded, at 53:17 to give the Steelers the victory.

A regulation win in Cardiff will see them crowned league champions.