The Steelers will head back to South Yorkshire with work to do after falling to a 3-0 defeat against the Nottingham Panthers in the first leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final at the Motorpoint Arena. Despite controlling large spells of the contest and outshooting the hosts 26 to 17, the Steelers were punished for moments of carelessness in their own zone as the Panthers capitalised clinically on their opportunities.
Arriving in Nottingham on the back of seven wins in their last eight outings, the Steelers were full of confidence and started brightly. Head Coach Aaron Fox reinstated Matthew Greenfield between the pipes, while Kyle Watson returned to the fourth line. For long stretches, the Steelers dictated possession and created sustained offensive zone pressure. However, defensive turnovers and lapses during line changes proved costly, allowing the Panthers to build a three-goal cushion they would not relinquish.
Greenfield was called upon throughout and produced several high-quality stops to keep the tie from stretching further, while Kevin Carr in the Nottingham goal posted a 100% save percentage, turning aside all 26 Steelers shots. Special teams were not a deciding factor on the night, with both sides killing off their respective penalties, but the Panthers’ efficiency at even strength ultimately separated the sides.
With the semi-final to be decided over two legs, the Steelers now return home knowing they must overturn a three-goal deficit at the Utilita Arena next Wednesday. Before that, attention quickly shifts back to Elite League action with a crucial double-header against the Guildford Flames.
First Period [3-0]
The Steelers began the contest with intent and purpose, taking the game to the Panthers in the opening five minutes. Jordon Southorn tested Carr twice in quick succession; first from the left wing and then from the high slot but both efforts were confidently gloved down. Dominic Cormier followed with two chances on the same shift, forcing Carr into further saves as the Steelers established early momentum.
Despite that bright start, the game turned abruptly at 5:22. A turnover at the Panthers’ blue line by Mitchell Heard sparked a counterattack. The initial wave was dealt with, but the puck worked back to Chase Pearson, who fed Brendan Harris on the right wing. Harris’ one-timer beat a moving Greenfield against the run of play to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Moments later, at 6:54, the Panthers doubled their advantage. The Steelers were caught mid-change, allowing Jakob Stridsberg to drift unchecked into the slot. Ross Armour found him with a precise pass and Stridsberg made no mistake, firing home to the left of Greenfield. Suddenly, the Steelers found themselves chasing the game despite controlling much of the play.
There were chances at both ends through the remainder of the period. A Panthers penalty at 8:23 for tripping gave the Steelers a power play opportunity, but it was successfully killed. Greenfield produced a big blocker save on Volcan following a defensive giveaway, and later denied Finlay Ulrick on the doorstep after Sam Tremblay had been felled by a stray elbow. However, at 18:09, Harris struck again, finishing at the back post after a perfectly weighted pass from Volcan. The Steelers headed to the dressing room trailing 3-0, frustrated that lapses in their own zone had undone much of their positive work.
Second Period [3-0]
The second period saw a more measured and structured performance from the Steelers as they looked to stabilise the contest. Patrick Watling came close early on, attempting to tip a puck out of mid-air from close range but unable to make clean contact. At the other end, Greenfield was sharp, producing a strong pad save to deny Matt Alfaro from in tight.
The Panthers generated a few half-chances, including a shot from David Noel off a face-off that drifted just wide and a harmless effort that took an awkward rebound off Dougherty, forcing Greenfield into another alert stop. Ryan Tait injected pace with a burst down the wing and wraparound attempt that almost caught Carr by surprise, signalling the Steelers’ continued attacking intent.
Tempers flared midway through the period when the Steelers were assessed a bench minor for too many men at 34:49, a call that left Aaron Fox visibly furious on the bench. Nevertheless, the penalty kill unit stood firm once again, maintaining their 100% efficiency on the night.
As the period wore on, the play was relatively even. Jasper tested Carr with a glove-side effort from the left wing, but the Nottingham netminder remained unbeaten. The Panthers edged the shot count after the middle frame 15-11, but crucially for the Steelers, they prevented the deficit from growing and gave themselves a platform to push in the third.
Third Period [3-0]
Needing a response, the Steelers came out with urgency in the final period. Greenfield made an early pad save to keep things steady before the visitors began to tilt the ice in their favour. Crisp puck movement saw Dominic Cormier skate powerfully down the left wing, but his effort found only the chest of Carr.
Pressure mounted around the Panthers’ crease. A scramble eventually fell to Robert Dowd, but Carr got just enough of the puck to divert it wide. Mikko Juusola then fired off the shoulder of the netminder, and Brett Ritchie saw a shot whistle agonisingly past the post as the Steelers pushed for a breakthrough goal that would have changed the complexion of the tie.
Further chances followed. Dowd fed Tait from behind the net for a one-timer that Carr handled well, while a blue-line effort from Watling took a deflection in front that momentarily wrong-footed the Panthers’ goalie but drifted inches wide. Ritchie came closest of all, snapping a shot off the post as the clock ticked down.
Despite outshooting and outworking their opponents for long stretches, the Steelers could not find a way past Carr. The first leg concluded with the Panthers holding a three-goal aggregate advantage. Joona Huttula was named the Steelers’ Man of the Match, while Brendan Harris claimed the honours for the Panthers with his two-goal contribution.
The focus now shifts quickly. A demanding league double-header against the Guildford Flames awaits this weekend, before the Steelers return to home ice next Wednesday determined to overturn the deficit and book their place in the Challenge Cup Final.
