Telford Tigers 2 sealed the Laidler Cup in emphatic fashion, overcoming Sutton Sting in the second leg of the final with a composed and commanding performance in Sheffield on Sunday.
The final was a two-legged contest, with the Tigers coming from behind in a thrilling first leg to win 5-4 on Saturday night in Telford in front of a bumper crowd. Entering the second leg at IceSheffield with a one goal lead, Tigers knew that a steady and consistent performance was required to see them lift the trophy.
Sutton Sting took an early lead in the game, capitalising on a powerplay opportunity after Tigers’ Josef Lauder was called for hooking. A fracas in front of the Tigers’ net made the penalty kill team work hard to fight off the puck in the Tigers zone, but an open net opportunity for Sting allowed Cameron Akers to put the puck past Tigers’ Matty Byne to give the Sting a 1-0 advantage.
The goal also shifted the aggregate score to a tied position, putting Tigers under pressure as they sought to retake control of the tie. Sutton held on to their lead through the remainder of the first period, but Telford remained focused on the task at hand.
Tigers responded swiftly in the second period, as Liam Bartholomew made a crucial impact, firing a rocket from just inside the blue line past Sting goalkeeper Lewis King to level the score 1-1. With the aggregate score now 6-5 in favour of the Tigers, the game was finely poised, and the tension continued to build.
Sting, however, regained the lead in the third period through Cameron Glasby, who found the back of the net to make it 2-1 on the night. Despite the setback, Telford remained composed and equalised again shortly after. Paul Davies scored a powerplay goal after Lawson Glasby was called for holding, bringing the game level and restoring the balance.
As the third period advanced, Tigers looked progressively dangerous. The momentum shifted back to the Tigers as Taylor Stanton capitalised on an even-strength opportunity to put Telford ahead for the first time in the game.
As the clock wound down, Sutton Sting called a late timeout making the decision to pull King from their net in a last-ditch effort to force a dramatic finish. However, Telford Tigers capitalised on the empty net, sealing the victory after Vladimir Luka shot the puck from inside the half-way line into the empty-net as the clock hit 59 minutes.
Tigers controlled the puck through the final seconds, and as the buzzer sounded, jubilant celebrations erupted both on the ice and in the stands. Telford Tigers 2 had secured the Laidler Cup, capping off a weekend of excitement and delivering a performance that lived up to the fans’ high expectations.
With the cup secured, Telford Tigers 2 will now turn their focus back to league action, aiming to carry their winning momentum forward for the remainder of the season.
Final Score: Autocraft Telford Tigers 4 (9) Sutton Sting 2 (6)
Scorers: Liam Bartholomew, Paul Davies, Taylor Stanton, Vladimir Luka.
Man of the match: Kyle Watt.
Head Coach Andy Watt praised the team’s efforts, stating, “I’m incredibly proud of the players for the way they approached both legs of the final. We knew we had to be at our best, and they delivered with a fantastic performance. Full credit goes to our team for their hard work and dedication, Sutton Sting pushed us all the way and made it a great contest.”
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