COVENTRY Blaze lost 4-1 in the second leg of their Challenge Cup semi-final against Sheffield Steelers to suffer a 10-1 aggregate defeat.
Trailing by six goals from the first leg, Blaze faced an impossible task with the game over as a contest when Steelers took a three-goal lead in the second leg.
Danny Kristo responded for Coventry in the second period before Mitchell Balmas completed the scoring for the home side at Utilita Arena.
Steelers broke the deadlock at 12.16 when Sam Jones converted Niklas Nevalainen’s pass before Brien Diffley struck at 17.57 to put the game to bed.
And Rob Dowd fired past Blaze netminder Nolan Kent at 29.34 to extend Sheffield’s aggregate lead to nine goals.
Blaze finally troubled the scoreboard at 34.39 when former Sheffield player Kristo finished well from a two-on-one opportunity.
However, Steelers showed their ruthlessness to stretch their lead at 39.02 as Balmas found the net from a tight angle.
Coventry are next in action away at Nottingham Panthers on Saturday, February 3 with the face-off at 7pm at Motorpoint Arena.
Blaze then host the Panthers on Sunday, February 4 with the face-off at 5.30pm at the Skydome Arena.
