Dowd fuels Steelers comeback, ties franchise record
Photo: Hayley Roberts
Five goals in the final 13 minutes of the third period saw Sheffield Steelers turn a 0-2 deficit into a 5-2 home win over Belfast Giants on Sunday afternoon.
Robert Dowd’s two goals saw him tie Steve Nemeth’s all-time goals record for the Steelers.
It was a very defensive opening period in Sheffield with both sides well aware of the significance of the game. Ben Lake had the Giants’ best half-chance of the opening phases, while a Robert Dowd tip called Jackson Whistle into early work.
The visitors went ahead just 14 seconds after the Steelers killed off a penalty, Josh Roach being left in lots of space on the off side to wrist home past matt Greenfield glove side with 13:15 played. David Goodwin saw a shot come back off the post shortly after goal as the Giants almost doubled their advantage.
Jeff Baum’s excellent block prevented Mitchell Balmas having a clear shot at goal from the slot inside the final 10 seconds of the period as the Steelers ended the first strong, but behind.
It took just 54 second-period seconds for the Giants to go two ahead. With the puck round Greenfield, it worked its way to David Goodwin off Kevin Tansey’s skate to finish well from close range to double the visitors’ advantage.
For a seven or so minute spell, the teams played more open leading to chances at both ends. Sasha Guimond’s slapshot needed a Whistle save and snow angel to cover the puck, while Patrick Watling couldn’t get the puck to settle quick enough to wrist high into Whistle’s net towards the end of the period. The home side also hit a post in the second, while the Giants were doing well forcing the Steelers into turnovers in their own end to create chances on Greenfield.
Marc-Olivier Vallerand's bar-down finish from the high slot out of nothing brought the home side back into things with 13 minutes to play, and crucially got their 8,672-storng crowd more into things. The Giants then took a Too many men on the ice call after a slow line change, and were punished when a perfect Mitchell Balmas pass landed straight on the stick of Robert Dowd at the top of the crease to tie the game with 6:43 to play. Three minutes later, a broken play led to Dowd blasting the puck through Whistle’s five-hole to put the home side ahead.
Whistle was pulled with two minutes to play, but just nine seconds later Patrick Watling found the empty net from his own zone to put the home side two clear. Brandon Whistle scored into another empty net as the Giants rolled the dice again with 52 seconds to go to seal a 5-2 win.
