By Luke McGinnis
Marc LeFebvre’s squad is coming off a Tayside Derby double-header against the Fife Flyers, where they fell short on the road on Saturday before bouncing back with a dramatic home victory in Dundee the following night.
“Saturday we had some chances but we weren’t great, we were too perimeter,” reflected LeFebvre. “Sunday we stuck with it, went to the dirty areas, and made it hard for them inside their zone. It’s not an easy league to score in, you’ve got to get bodies to the net and go to the hard areas to score goals.”
Spencer Naas found the back of the net in each of the two games, extending his scoring streak to four games. Goaltender Emil Kruse recorded his first win as a Star, and Bradley Schoonbaert scored his first two goals in a Dundee jersey, including the third-period equaliser, which gave the Stars’ crucial momentum to secure a massive overtime win on home ice.
Meanwhile, defenseman Jackson DeSouza notched his second multi-point game of the season, continuing an impressive sophomore professional season with six points in seven games so far.
“Saturday wasn’t our best performance — the game kind of got away from us early — but we battled hard and controlled most of the play,” said DeSouza. “To come back on Sunday, go down two goals and not take no for an answer really shows our resilience.”
Last season, Dundee and Sheffield met six times, with the Steelers taking five wins. Drydn Dow led the Stars in scoring during those encounters, putting up six points and proving to be a constant thorn in Sheffield’s side.
Saturday also marks the first regular season matchup for the Steelers, following six Challenge Cup games in which they went 4-1-1. Across those contests, newcomer Derek Gentile and third-year Steeler Mitchell Balmas led the way with seven points apiece, while Matt Greenfield and Eamon McAdam split goaltending duties with three starts each.
Just two seasons removed from their Elite League Grand Slam, Aaron Fox’s men will be looking to return to the championship form that has become synonymous with the Steelers.
On facing Sheffield, LeFebvre commented, “We’re prepared, we’ve got a veteran group in that room that know how to play and we know what to expect against Sheffield. They’re a good team every year, always competing for every trophy. Having played and coached there myself, I know what the expectations are. The problem they have is when they lose a game it’s all doom and gloom, so we’re looking to do that on Saturday to them.”
“We’re feeling pretty good. We’re not too worried about who we play, whoever is in front of us, we’ll be ready to go,” DeSouza added.
The Stars and Giants have faced off twice so far this season, with Dundee claiming commanding victories on both occasions. Their first encounter came on opening night in Belfast, where the Stars stunned the reigning EIHL Champions with a 7-4 win. The following weekend, Dundee played host to the Giants and once again delivered another strong performance with a 5-2 victory.
“You’ve got to have a memory like a goldfish, win or lose you just focus on what you can control and the task at hand,” DeSouza noted. “The two wins against them were nice, but that means nothing going into Sunday.”
Matt Berry led the Stars with six points over the two games, with Hampus Olsson and Ben Almquist close behind with five. Jarrett Fiske started both games, providing excellent goaltending with a .915 save percentage and a 3.00 GAA.
So far this season, Dundee remain the only team to beat Belfast, with the Giants winning their other four games against Glasgow and Fife. J.J. Piccinich and Jordan Kawaguchi lead the team in points, both tallying eight, and Team GB goaltender Jackson Whistle has impressed with a 4-1 record and a .911 save percentage.
“Belfast are a good side, they’re defending champions for a reason and always have a good team. They have a lot of offensive weapons that give you trouble, but we have a lot of championship experience and a winning mentality in our group, so we’re looking forward to it.” LeFebvre concluded.
Faceoff for Sunday’s massive home game is scheduled for 5 p.m., with tickets on sale NOW.
