Milton Keynes Lightning beat Sheffield Steeldogs 7-3 at Planet Ice Milton Keynes on 10 October, pulling clear with four goals in the third period of their NIHL National meeting. Sean Norris completed a hat-trick after putting Lightning ahead in the second, while David Thomson assisted five of the home side’s seven goals. Sheffield had led inside the opening minute and drew level again early in the middle period, but could not find another equaliser after Norris restored MKL’s lead.
With Jordan Hedley in goal for Milton Keynes Lightning and Shane Owen in goal for Sheffield Steeldogs, Jonathan Phillips gave Sheffield the lead at 00:33, assisted by Walker Sommer and Dante Salituro. Lightning’s reply took just 36 seconds: Liam Stewart equalised at 01:09 from Carter Hamill’s assist. Milique Martelly then put the home side 2-1 ahead at 08:58, with Thomson supplying his first assist of the game. That remained the score at the first interval. The Steeldogs had struck first, but Lightning had turned the game around before the nine-minute mark.
Sheffield made another quick start after the break. Salituro equalised 37 seconds into the second period, assisted by David Phillips, bringing the sides back together at 2-2. Norris answered at 22:20, with Danny Weight and Thomson assisting, to restore Lightning’s lead less than two minutes later. It was the goal that separated the teams for the rest of the period and gave MKL a 3-2 advantage at the second interval.
There were penalties for both sides as the middle period continued, including two minutes for interference against Sheffield’s Jonathan Kirk at 25:49 and two minutes for abuse against Lightning’s Archie Hazeldine at 28:50. Emil Oksanen was later called for interference for the visitors, and Jarred White received two minutes for delay of game for MKL. None changed the score. With the gap still one goal after 40 minutes, Sheffield remained within reach despite Lightning’s response to Salituro’s equaliser.
The decisive separation came immediately after the second break. Norris scored again at 40:13, once more assisted by Weight and Thomson, to give Lightning the game’s first two-goal lead. At 41:45, Mack Stewart converted a penalty shot to make it 5-2. Sheffield’s Liam Morris was assessed a penalty-shot slashing offence at the same time; Stewart’s goal was a penalty shot, not a power-play goal. In just 1:45 of third-period playing time, Lightning had moved from a narrow lead to a three-goal cushion.
The final period also brought a series of penalties. Sheffield’s Jonathan Phillips received two consecutive two-minute penalties for high-sticking at 45:28. Mack Stewart was given a two-minute penalty and a further 10-minute penalty for diving at 46:18, before MKL’s Bradey Johnson received two minutes for slashing at 46:40. Lightning’s power-play goal came later, following a separate two-minute roughing penalty to Morris at 49:38. Weight scored at 50:12, assisted by Thomson and Hazeldine, to extend the lead to 6-2. It gave Weight a goal to go with his three assists and Thomson his fourth assist of the game.
Sheffield did respond. Jonathan Phillips scored his second at 52:24, with Sommer and Jonathan Kirk assisting, to reduce the deficit to three. Phillips had both opened the scoring and supplied the visitors’ final goal, while Salituro finished with a goal and an assist. Lightning held their lead through the closing minutes, and Norris completed his hat-trick at 57:42. Weight and Thomson provided the assists again, their third time combining to set up Norris, as MKL settled the score at 7-3.
The result earned Lightning two NIHL National points. Norris’s three goals, Weight’s goal and three assists, and Thomson’s five assists were central to a game that remained close until MKL’s two early third-period goals put distance between the sides.
Source: Official gamesheet.
Scoring summary
MK Lightning: Sean Norris 3+0, Danny Weight 1+3, Mack Stewart 1+0, Milique Martelly 1+0, Liam Stewart 1+0, David Thomson 0+5, Archie Hazeldine 0+1, Carter Hamill 0+1.
Sheffield Steeldogs: Jonathan Phillips 2+0, Dante Salituro 1+1, Walker Sommer 0+2, David Phillips 0+1, Jonathan Kirk 0+1.
