Blaze hit Steelers for six

Photo: Hayley Roberts

Coventry Blaze inflected Sheffield’s biggest home defeat in six years with a 6-0 win over the Steelers in front of 8,016 fans at the Utilita Arena.

Nick Seitz could have opened the scoring early for the Blaze when he was found at the far post, only for Matt Greenfield to make an excellent sliding save. The Blaze started very well and eventually went ahead on their third good chance of the game – Jack Hopkins taking a touch off a Brandon Alderson feed and then firing past Greenfield.

Period two couldn’t have started any better for the visitors. Michael Regush tipped a Chase Gresock past Greenfield short side to put the Blaze two ahead 23 seconds into the period. Just under nine minutes later, Hopkins had his second of the night with a five-hole finish on Greenfield after good fore-checking work from the Blaze. Jackson Cressy batted home a bouncing puck after Greenfield had stopped a Terrence Amorosa shot to make it four on the 35-minute mark.

Seitz hit the crossbar before the period was out as the Blaze almost made it five.

Michael Regush doubles the Blaze lead under a minute into the second period, tipping in a Gresock shot short side as Greenfield leaves him post. British Forward Jack Hopkins picks up a brace, finishing five hole on Greenfield after picking the puck up from the corner. Blaze score on their first Powerplay attempt of the night, Dowd sits for interference, Gresock takes a shot which is stopped by Greenfield but falls onto the stick of Jackson Cressey to increase the lead the four. Coventry came close again not long after, Heintz gaining a breakaway on Greenfield, beats the netminder but can’t beat the iron.

Having soaked up some Steelers pressure to start the period, the Blaze sewed things up on the rush with a Mike Kennedy goal 4:32 into the final period. Seitz did eventually get his goal with 7:16 to play to round off an excellent road win for the Blaze.

The result moved the Blaze back into fifth, while for the Steelers it was a third successive defeat.