Sheffield Steeldogs: Who, where and when the NIHL National top five have left to play in the regular season

GOING FOR SILVERWARE: Greg Wood and Sheffield Steeldogs. are in the running for runners-up spot in NIHL National, as well as shooting it out with Telford Tigers in the NIHL National Cup Final.
Picture: Bruce Rollinson — GOING FOR SILVERWARE: Greg Wood and Sheffield Steeldogs. are in the running for runners-up spot in NIHL National, as well as shooting it out with Telford Tigers in the NIHL National Cup Final. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS emerged from the latest weekend of NIHL National action fifth in the overall standings - but still in with a fighting chance of finishing the regular season as runners-up.

With leaders Telford Tigers likely to seal the regular season title next weekend - against either Swindon Wildcats or Leeds Knights - there remains a four-way battle for the runners-up spot.

The Steeldogs and Telford, of course, begin their two-game quest to lift the National Cup when they play the first leg of their final this Friday at Ice Sheffield (face-off 7.30pm).

In the league, Swindon, despite an inconsistent recent run of form, are currently sat in second spot on 51 points, with Leeds one point behind in third spot. Milton Keynes dropped to fourth as a result of losing twice against Ryan Aldridge’s team at the weekend, one point adrift of Leeds with the Steeldogs another point further back in fifth.  All four teams have six games remaining, pointing towards a thrilling end to what is only the second-ever season of the NIHL National – Telford winning the inaugural regular season title in 2019-20 just before the global pandemic brought about an early end to the campaign in March 2020.