A 2 Point Cup Weekend for the Steelers
Sheffield Steelers head coach Aaron Fox admitted his side “just weren’t good enough” after Sunday’s 4-2 Challenge Cup defeat at Coventry Blaze.
The loss was Sheffield’s first in the competition this season, although the Steelers remain top of their Challenge Cup group after an otherwise strong opening run.
It also came less than 24 hours after Fox’s side had produced one of their most complete performances of the season, coming from behind to beat Cardiff Devils 3-1 at the Utilita Arena.
That contrast was the biggest source of frustration for the Steelers coach.
“It’s frustrating because we were so good last night,” said Fox. “We did all the little things right, the buy-in was there and the compete level was high and through the roof.
“Then you kind of waste last night’s performance with tonight.”
Sheffield fell four goals behind in Coventry before Mitchell Balmas and Robert Dowd reduced the deficit during the second half of the contest.
Fox felt the early damage was largely self-inflicted.
“That’s not a way you can start a hockey game and expect to win,” he said.
“We gifted two turnovers below our goal line where we have time to make a play, and then an offensive blue-line turnover that turns into a breakaway.
“You gift them goals.”
The Steelers had faced a demanding schedule, playing in Guildford on Wednesday before hosting Cardiff on Saturday and travelling to Coventry the following day.
Fox, however, refused to use that as an excuse.
“We knew this was their only game of the week,” he said.
“We had a Wednesday game and played last night against Cardiff, but the reality is those are just excuses.
“We just weren’t good enough tonight and we have to learn from it.”
Fox also pointed to the very different level of execution compared with Saturday’s win.
“Last night I think the only mistake we really made all night was that offensive blue-line turnover,” he added.
“Other than that, we played fast, we played north and we were connected.
“Tonight it was one and done. We weren’t making the plays we needed to make.”
The smaller Coventry ice surface also presented a different challenge for some of Sheffield’s newer players, but again Fox was reluctant to make allowances.
“For some of those guys it was their first time seeing the building,” he said.
“It’s a smaller sheet, things happen quickly and there’s never a clean bounce off the boards.
“But those are the same things for both teams.
“They played faster than us, they won more races than us and they got to the inside.”
Despite the defeat, Sheffield remain well placed in their Challenge Cup group and will now look to respond after a weekend which produced one impressive home victory and one frustrating road loss.