Sheffield Steeldogs crowned NIHL National Cup champions after epic derby battle with Leeds Knights

With just over two minutes remaining in regulation, it looked like Leeds were dead and buried, trailing 6-4 on aggregate.

But they managed to score twice to send the game into overtime, although that is where their resistance was ended, Bair Gendunov breaking down the ice and beating Sam Gospel low down to his right to secure a memorable 7-6 win on aggregate.

It was fitting end to a game that went into overdrive in the last 10 minutes of regulation when five goals were scored. For Leeds it was a crunching body blow, seeing both trophies they won last year lifted by rivals, the Steeldogs’ celebrations coming just four days after Leeds had to watch Swindon Wildcats lift the regular season crown they had owned for the three previous years.

Coming into the game trailing 3-1 from the first leg Leeds knew they would have to chase the game to some extent, although it was former Knights’ forward Cole Shudra who was the first to produce a save when his wraparound attempt was denied by Sam Gospel’s outstretched right skate in the second minute, with Bair Gendunov hitting the side netting shortly after.

But with their first bit of real zone time, Leeds got on the board early, Sam Dunn and Liam Peyton combining down the right boards before the latter cut inside and fired on the net, with Owen Sobchak deflecting it into the roof of Brady Parker’s net for a 1-0 lead with 3.33 on the board.

Bailey Perre and Matt Bissonnette made sure Parker was kept busy in the moments immediately after as Leeds pushed hard for a second.

But the next breakthrough came at the other end, the Knights coughing up the puck on the edge of their zone to allow Ivan Björkly-Nordström to attempt a wraparound.

When that was denied by the alert Gospel, the puck broke to Kyle Watson whose first effort was saved before he reacted quickest to nudge the puck over the line to make it 1-1 at 11.27.

Daragh Spawforth’s close-range effort on the turn was padded away by Parker, as was Pakozdi’s follow-up as Leeds threatened to retake the lead.

A holding call on Nathan Ripley gave them a better chance to do so, although it took them a while when, with the power play running down, Sobchak showed great patience and vision behind the net to find Finley Bradon in front, who skilfully lifted his shot over Parker and into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 on the night at 16.08.

The second period was a much tighter affair, the Knights going close to drawing level on aggregate in the 25th minute when Sam Cooper’s long-range effort took a deflection, fell to Bissonnette whose effort was deflected across the face of goal to Sobchak, whose backhanded shot was smothered by Parker.

At the other end, Liam Steele cut in from the right towards goal, only for Gospel to spoon the puck away with his stick close to his goalline, the Knights goalie having to set himself again quickly to deny Garcia at his right-hand post shortly after.

The first 10 minutes of the third period passed without too much incident, although the Knights did well to kill off a four-minute penalty when Bissonnette was sent to the box on a high-sticking call.

The second 10 minutes of the third period, however, were a complete contrast.

The Steeldogs strengthened their grip on the tie when Walker Sommer fired past Gospel low down to his left at 51.14 to make it 2-2 and 5-3 overall.

But the Knights came roaring back just over three minutes later on the power play when Sobchak took a pass from Oli Endicott before picking his spot to fire past Parker from the right circle.

The Steeldogs had a quick response of their own though. As Leeds pressed for an aggregate equaliser, they were caught on the break again, Shudra initially denied in front of net before the puck seemed to cannon in off a Leeds player to make it 3-3.

With just over two minutes remaining, it looked like Leeds were done.That was until a face-off win in the right circle saw the puck worked backed to Sam Dunn who fired a rocket through traffic and past the unsighted Parker to make it a one-goal game again at 57.54.

With just a few seconds left, it was another face-off win for Leeds in the same right circle that produced the most dramatic moment of the night.

With Gospel pulled, Bradon won the draw, Sobchak picked up the loose puck and fired a speculative effort on net which seemed to take a couple of deflections. The crucial one came from Liam Peyton’s stick, the puck eluding Parker and dropping over the line to make it 5-3 on the night to the visitors and 6-6 overall. It sent the Knights' fans sat down that end of the ice ecstatic and the game into overtime.

Chances came and went at both ends in the five minutes of 3-on-3 that followed but when Pakozdi’s effort from the right circle flew over both Parker and the crossbar, the Steeldogs found themselves on another break, with Gendunov applying the finishing touch to a memorable battle.