MATCH REPORT | STEELDOGS TAKE THE POINTS IN SHEFFIELD

A difficult night at iceSheffield saw the Wendy’s Peterborough Phantoms fall to a 6-1 defeat against the Steeldogs, with a second-period surge setting the tone for the evening.

It was a battling opening frame, with the Phantoms generating some early looks through Cam Hough, Jasper Foster and Luke Ferrara - all of whom tested Brady Parker from range. At the other end, Hayden Lavigne stood tall to deny Walker Sommer and Jonathan Phillips as the Steeldogs looked to establish momentum.

The breakthrough came late in the opening frame. With Joe Gretton sitting for slashing and Morgan Clarke-Pizzo sitting Lavigne's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty - the Steeldogs made their five-on-three count at 18:39. Sommer converted from some patient work by CJ Garcia, giving the home side the lead.

With Lavigne bowled over in the closing moments of the first period, tensions began to rise. The officials diffused the situation, with both teams returning to their locker rooms a few minutes after the buzzer had sounded.

This wasn't the end of matters, however, as the Phantoms returned for the second period with a man in the box after seeing Coach Tait ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct. Nathan Pollard took the helm for the remainder of the game, with the Phantoms facing an uphill battle.

The Steeldogs didn't waste the powerplay, with former Great Britain captain Jono Phillips firing high over Lavigne just 39 seconds into the second period - doubling the home side's lead.

The game began to slip away from the Phantoms at the halfway point of the match. Liam Steele fired home from the point at 31:40, before captain Jonathan Kirk converted a Joonas Larinmaa set-up play just 23 seconds later at 32:03. With the deficit stretching to four, Coach Pollard called a timeout to try and swing momentum.

Despite the scoreline, the visitors continued to work for a response. Ferrara and Hough both forced saves from Parker, while Janne Laakkonen and Dillon Lawrence looked to break the zone.

That persistence was rewarded late in the period. Cam Hough pulled a goal back at 38:47 following some increasingly familiar link-up play between Ferrara and Laakkonen.

Any momentum gained was short-lived, however. The Steeldogs restored their four-goal cushion at 39:42, with Kyle Watson finishing at even strength to send the sides into the second intermission at 5-1.

The third period followed a similar pattern, with the Phantoms continuing to look for a way back while the Steeldogs held their own. An early tripping penalty for Bailey Yates saw Laakkonen and Lawrence link up on the powerplay - with the Canadian unlucky not to beat Parker.

At the other end, Lavigne continued to battle, making several crucial saves to keep the deficit to four. The final goal of the night came at 51:53, as Joonas Larinmaa converted on Laakkonen's tripping penalty for the Steeldogs' third powerplay goal of the game.

Late efforts from Hough, who struck the crossbar, and Clarke-Pizzo on the rebound of a Joe Gretton blue liner, were unable to reduce the deficit as the Steeldogs closed out the contest.

FINAL SCORE: Sheffield Steeldogs 6-1 Peterborough Phantoms

Steeldogs Goals:

18:39 (SS 1-0 PP): #8 Walker Sommer / #96 CJ Garcia / #37 Kyle Watson (PPG)
20:39 (SS 2-0 PP): #20 Jonathan Phillips / #96 CJ Garcia / #3 Liam Steele (PPG)
31:40 (SS 3-0 PP): #3 Liam Steele / #91 Joonas Larinmaa / #23 Michael Danecko (EHG)
32:03 (SS 4-0 PP): #90 Jonathan Kirk / #91 Joonas Larinmaa / #37 Kyle Watson (EHG)
39:42 (SS 5-1 PP): #37 Kyle Watson / #8 Walker Sommer / #16 Emil Oksanen (EHG)
51:53 (SS 6-1 PP): #91 Joonas Larinmaa / #Jonathan Phillips / #8 Walker Sommer (PPG)