It was a pretty even for much of the contest, with the scores level at 1-1 after the first of three 20-minute periods and the side in Black and Gold edging it 3-2 after the second.
Hallam took the lead early on through Oliver Keeling but were pegged back just 5 seconds before the first interval through Josh Fall. The number 91 then gave Uni of the lead just over a minute into the second period, taking advantage of Hallam having a player in the sin bin.
The side in maroon were back on level terms midway through the period though, with Hamish Diedrichs converting from a lay off from behind the goal. Sebastian Shillito put the Black and Gold side back ahead with seven minutes remaining of the second period, with a sensational individual goal following a purposeful run and an off-balance finish.
It was in the final spell however that Uni of really rammed home their advantage, Josh Fall added to his earlier tally, scoring from a rebound, after a smart first save by Hallam Goalkeeper Jack Cameron.
The storyline belonged to Canadian lecturer Michael Szollosy however, scoring the fifth and final goal on the last of his 18 Varsity appearances stretching back to 2006, sealing an impressive victory and ensuring he went out in style.
The sell-out crowd were treated to a physical affair which flared up at several points throughout, with the officials having their hands full for much of the evening.
The full-time buzzer brought jubilant scenes for those in Black and Gold, coming out on top in this fixture for only the second time in 20 years. An enjoyable night, in which pop-music supplemented the action on the rink to keep all entertained.
The win meant the University of Sheffield claimed a 51-40 victory over the entire Varsity Competition, their 11th successive victory, although by the smallest margin since 2019. The University’s Sports and Well-being officer Annie Henderson lifted the trophy in the post-match presentation.
University of Sheffield’s Captain Josh Humphreys:
“We had a good intake in the club this year, a lot of new, young players who were hungry to get the win and that’s what has balanced it out and given us more to work for”
“Thankfully the work rate from our side paid off, but that’s probably the best contested game I’ve seen here in years”
“He (Michael Szollosy) means a tremendous amount, no-one else can live up to his reputation and that’s why we’ve retired his shirt. It’s such a good send off for him, that’ll be my favourite moment in any Varsity I play in”
“For the 60 minutes of the game we can’t stand each other, but when that buzzer goes, we’re all friends again and happy to go for a beer together”
