Leeds Knights coach Ryan Aldridge on why netminder Sam Gospel is the best in NIHL National

LEEDS KNIGHTS coach Ryan Aldridge hasn’t taken long to realise the importance of No 1 goaltender Sam Gospel.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The 27-year-old stopper again showed his value to the team’s NIHL National cause at the weekend as the Knights recorded back-to-back wins against third-placed Milton Keynes Lightning.

Read More
Leeds Knights 8 Milton Keynes Lightning 2: Knights’ turnaround continues under R...

The Lightning put 36 shots on Gospel at Elland Road on Sunday night in a game the Knights won 8-2, with 32 getting through to him on Saturday in Buckinghamshire when his team prevailed 4-2.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The former Nottingham Panthers back-up tops the stats in the second-tier in both save percentage (.920) and Goals Against Average (2.79) and is widely-regarded as the best netminder in the league.

And having seen Gospel at work close-up in the six games since taking over from Dave Whistle earlier this month, Aldridge is in agreement.

MORE – Leeds Knights coach Ryan Aldridge on how his players are proving their quality all over ice

The interim coach also believes his team are now making it more difficult for opponents to get a clear sight of goal, by keeping a lot of shots to the outside, but is confident that whatever does get through will be dealt with.

Leeds Knights netminder Sam Gospel during practice session at Elland Road. Picture: Phil HarrisonLeeds Knights netminder Sam Gospel during practice session at Elland Road. Picture: Phil Harrison
Leeds Knights netminder Sam Gospel during practice session at Elland Road. Picture: Phil Harrison
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“You can have 100 shots in a game, but if they are from the outside they mean nothing,” said Aldridge. “It was the quality of shots that we gave up in the first period on Sunday that was a slight concern, but Sam kept us in it.

“He is an unbelievable goalie and, for me, the best in the league. We try and help him out as much as we can, obviously, and we’ve got that confidence as a team going forward offensively knowing that he’s behind us.”

While the four-point haul from the weekend may be seen as a statement of intent by Leeds, Aldridge said his main priority was to ensure the team continued to make steady progress.

“We’re just trying to get on a little bit of a run here and they are playing with confidence,” he added. “Whether it sends a message or not, we’re not focussed on that, we’re just trying to take small steps, baby steps, and move forward.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.