Milton Keynes Lightning beat Sheffield Steeldogs 3-0 at iceSheffield on 1 November, with two David Thomson goals 69 seconds apart turning a one-goal lead into a clear NIHL National win. Sean Norris had broken the deadlock midway through the second period, and Sheffield remained within one until the final eight minutes. The result gave Lightning a second successive competitive win.

With Shane Owen in goal for Sheffield Steeldogs and Jared Whale in goal for Milton Keynes Lightning, neither side scored in the opening 20 minutes. Sheffield recorded six shots on goal and Lightning 15, but the teams reached the first interval at 0-0. At 15:38, Sheffield’s CJ Garcia and Lightning’s Carter Hamill each received two minutes for cross-checking and separate five-minute fighting majors. Those matching calls did not produce a goal before the break.

The breakthrough came at 29:31. Norris scored at even strength, assisted by Archie Hazeldine and Milique Martelly, to put Lightning 1-0 ahead. It was the only goal of the middle period. Sheffield put eight shots on goal to MKL’s 11 during those 20 minutes, and the Steeldogs went into the second interval still needing just one goal to draw level.

That narrow margin lasted well into the third. Mack Stewart received two minutes for tripping at 49:29, with his penalty ending at 51:29. Lightning’s next goal came at even strength, 38 seconds later: Thomson scored at 52:07 from Kell Beattie and Martelly to make it 0-2. Martelly had also assisted Norris’s opener, giving him a hand in both goals that established the visitors’ advantage.

Thomson struck again at 53:16, assisted by Danny Weight and Hazeldine, moving the score to 0-3. The pair of goals extended Thomson’s goal-scoring run to a second successive competitive game and took his season tally to 11 across competitive fixtures. Hazeldine, like Martelly, finished with two assists, having helped create both the opening and final goals.

Sheffield recorded 10 shots on goal in the third period, their highest total of the game, but could not find a reply. The final shot count was 40-24 to Lightning, who had kept their one-goal lead intact until Thomson’s late double settled the result.

Source: Official NIHL National gamesheet.

Scoring summary

MK Lightning: David Thomson 2+0, Sean Norris 1+0, Archie Hazeldine 0+2, Milique Martelly 0+2, Danny Weight 0+1, Kell Beattie 0+1.

Sheffield Steeldogs: None.

First Published by Milton Keynes Lightning mk-lightning.co.uk

Photo credits: Tony Sargent