Sheffield U19a Steelhawks faced a tough challenge away against a strong Nottingham Lions U19 Nat side, with the final score 4-14. Plenty of learning opportunities from this one. The team showed great early intent, taking a 3-2 first period lead. They'll take confidence from that start as they look ahead to the next game.
The goals were shared around with Joseph Matthewman, Joshua Milnes, Harry Roebuck and Finley Williams all getting on the scoresheet, demonstrating great teamwork in the final third.
Joseph Matthewman was instrumental in the build-up play, racking up 3 assists and creating chance after chance.
The team will take the positives from this performance and come back stronger in their next outing.
| Player | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Matthewman#7 | 15 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 2.13 |
| Harry Roebuck#28 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 29 | 1.61 |
| Lewis Swaffield#36 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 1.87 |
| Harry Illingworth#8 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 0.88 |
| Alfie Longmate#46 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 0.76 |
| Joshua Milnes#12DIV · U19 NORTH 1 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 1.08 |
| Will Weaver#14 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0.69 |
| Noah Barnes#19 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0.56 |
| Finley Williams#38 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
Sheffield U19a Steelhawks are struggling for form, managing just 3 points from their last 6 games (17% of available points). Their 1-0-5 (W-D-L) record shows difficulties picking up results, with 5 defeats outweighing the 1 wins.
Concern mounts as the team is on a 5-game losing streak. Finding a way to stop the rot and get back to winning ways is the immediate priority. However, there are signs of a dip with fewer points earned recently compared to earlier matches. Halting this decline before it becomes a pattern is important.
Offensively, the team is potent with 19 goals scored (3.2 per game). This healthy output suggests the attacking players are finding their rhythm and creating chances consistently. Worryingly, goals have dried up in recent fixtures compared to earlier in this run.
The defense has leaked 40 goals at an alarming 6.7 per game. This vulnerability is putting enormous pressure on the attack to outscore opponents, which isn't sustainable long-term. Concerningly, more goals have been shipped recently, suggesting concentration or fatigue issues. The concerning -21 goal difference underlines the need for improvement at both ends.
In goal, Elliott Russan has been exceptional with a 98.4% save percentage and 1.58 goals against average across 8 appearances. This elite netminding has been crucial to the team's results, with 185 saves from 188 shots faced.
Most recently, a 4-14 defeat to Nottingham Lions U19 Nat was a tough lesson to absorb. However, 3 heavy defeats by 3+ goals are concerning and suggest the team can struggle when things go wrong.
Sheffield U19a Steelhawks currently sit in 5th place with 28 points from 18 games played. They are projected to maintain their current position through the remaining 0 games, finishing with approximately 28 points.
The concerning form rating of 25/100 reflects difficult recent results. Contributing factors are strong attacking output (3.6 goals/game) and defensive vulnerabilities (4.8 conceded/game).
Home advantage has been significant, with a 6-2-1 record at home compared to 3-6-0 on the road. This 67% home win rate versus 33% away suggests the remaining home fixtures will be crucial.
The projected finish range of 5th to 5th reflects the uncertainty in any prediction. This narrow range suggests a relatively predictable finish, though close competition means every point will matter.
The outlook is neutral - there's potential for improvement, but also room for caution. Maintaining solid attacking output while addressing poor current form will be key.
| Metric | This Season | Last Season | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | 5 | — | — |
| Points | 28 | — | — |
| Wins | 9 | — | — |
| GF | 80 | — | — |
| GD | 6 | — | — |
| 0.56 |
| Aaron Larner#52 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.22 |
| Joseph Gray#84 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0.22 |
| Albie Phillips#95UP · U16 NORTH 1 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.11 |
| Harry Lindley#68UP · U16 NORTH 1DIV · U19 NORTH 2 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.14 |
| Joesph Malfatti#43DIV · U19 SOUTH 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2.00 |
| Milly Thulbourne#45 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.15 |
| Oshan Phillips#63 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12 |
| Miles Jones#43 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.33 |
| Samuel Burrows#15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.07 |
| Arlen Newton#34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Bodhi James#41DIV · U19 SOUTH 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Elliott Russan#37 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Finn Wilson#73UP · U16 NORTH 1DIV · U19 NORTH 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Lennon Weeks#43 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Scarlett Richardson#1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Tyler Softley#24UP · U16 NORTH 1DIV · U19 NORTH 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
