GAME RECAP: Sheffield Steelers 4 Glasgow Clan 1 (After Overtime)

Sheffield Steelers

Glasgow Clan

(Steelers win 5-4 on aggregate)

GAME RECAP

They took them all the way, but it was heartache for Glasgow Clan as Sheffield Steelers needed overtime to clinch a place in next week’s play-off finals weekend.

It’s somewhat fitting that in the venue where TV show, ‘Gladiators’, is filmed, Corey Neilson’s men put on quite the effort, but it wasn’t to be as Steelers took the game 4-1 after the extra period and tie 5-4 on aggregate to send them through.

After the high energy of Friday night’s meeting in Glasgow, it wasn’t a surprise that this second leg clash started the same, with Steelers chasing down a two-goal deficit.

An early chance from Clan hit the post after the puck had trickled through the legs of Sheffield goalie Matt Greenfield.

But the pressure from the home team paid off as a broken play allowed Mitchell Balmas to skate through and slam his shot past Landon Bow for the opening goal.

Just 51 seconds later, Sheffield opened up a two-goal lead on the night to level the tie on aggregate with some bad luck to help it.

Mikko Juusola played Brandon Whistle in down the right and as the Steelers forward looked to return the pass, the puck hit the skate of Steven Seigo and past Bow.

Clan’s netminder made a crucial block to deny Daniel Ciampini shortly as the home side sensed a chance to really kick on.

Then Bow made a magnificent stop to blocker away Juusola’s follow-up chance after initially stopping Dominic Cormier’s chance from the inside left.

A minute after the restart, Steelers took the lead in the tie overall as Kevin Tansey’s low diagonal effort left Clan’s netminder beaten to put the hosts 3-0 up on the night.

Cole Ully found himself through on Greenfield not long after, but was forced wide after Sheffield’s man between the pipes did enough to put him off.

Clan were not out of the tie and with a couple of minutes to go in the second, Steven Seigo pulled one back and levelled this fascinating quarter final at 4-4 when his shot flew in via a ricochet.

Glasgow suffered a blow early in the third as captain Deven Sideroff needed treatment as he took a puck to the face but was back within five minutes.

While the game started at a blistering pace, it become much more nervy as the contest headed into the final 10 minutes, knowing a mistake somewhere could be costly.

Liam Finlay saw a chance stopped as Clan made their way forward and as the time ticked down, it felt more and more like an overtime period.

Tyson McLellan was sent to the box with four to go for a face off violation as Glasgow needed to come through a massive penalty kill unscathed.

Then Rob Lachowicz followed him on a tripping call to make it really dramatic as Balmas hit the post as Sheffield crowded round the crease.

Into overtime the game went and after Cole Ully’s chance was dealt with, Juusola tried his luck up the other end on the rush, with Bow moving it away.

But Patrick Watling fired in the winner to end Clan’s season in heartbreaking fashion.