Leeds Chiefs make valuable point in further proof of their NIHL National potential

ON TARGET: Defenceman Lewis Baldwin struck his second goal of the season as Leeds Chiefs earned a valuable point in a 5-4 overtime defeat at Hull Pirates. Picture: Kevin Slyfield.

Handed perhaps the toughest weekend on paper so far this season with games against Hull Pirates and joint-leaders Swindon Wildcats, the Chiefs may have earned themselves just a solitary point, but again emerged with a ton of credit.

Not that that will matter much to Zajac when he sees his team still bottom of the NIHL National standings with just the one win to their name.

But the fact they were able to go toe-to-toe with two teams considered by many people to be among the front-runners for silverware in this inaugural season of the new-look second tier, speaks volumes about the Chiefs’ potential.

UP AND RUNNING: Forward Steven Moore opened his Leeds Chiefs' account in the 4-3 defeat at Swindon Wildcats on Saturday. Picture courtesy of Tony Sargent.

“I’ve said all summer what a strong team Swindon are and so to run them as a close as we did on the road with everything we’ve got going on, gives us plenty of positives to work on,” said Zajac.

“In Hull, on the balance of the two teams out there, I felt we had enough to get the win, so that was frustrating – but there were some great performances across the weekend.”

Hull took the lead at 6.11 through Bobby Chamberlain – back after a four-game suspension – but Leeds were level just 33 seconds later through Ethan Hehir’s first of the campaign.

Two second-period strikes from Josh Gent put the Pirates in control, but the Chiefs refused to go away, halving the deficit through Lewis Baldwin at 33.08 and then drawing level again through a short-handed strike from former Pirates forward James Archer at 43.19.

HIGHS AND LOWS: Leeds Chiefs' player-coach Sam Zajac. Picture courtesy of Chris Stratford

The hosts looked to have the game won when, with just 92 seconds left, Chamberlain struck his second of the night.

But, with just 23 seconds remaining and netminder Sam Gospel pulled for the extra skater, the Chiefs earned themselves a point through Adam Barnes, although their hopes of a second win of the season were quickly dashed when Lee Haywood struck an overtime winner just 27 seconds in.

On Saturday, it was a similar story for the Chiefs, falling behind early before going blow-for-blow with their hosts.

Swindon had gone top of the standings the previous evening with a late 3-2 win at Sheffield Steeldogs and got the ideal start against the Chiefs when they went ahead at 4.15 through Tomasz Malasinski.

Sam Gospel gets down to block a Swindon attempt on goal. Picture courtesy of dit Kat Medcroft

The size of the Chiefs’ task of building on the previous weekend’s first-ever win at Raiders IHC became twice as hard when they went 2-0 behind in the 24th minute through a Toms Rutkis strike.

But the visitors then rallied impressively, halving the deficit through Steven Moore’s first of the season at 30.54 before equalising through Barnes just under three minutes later.

But any momentum was lost when Barnes was then ejected on a high sticking call shortly after his goal, with the Wildcats profiting from the resulting five-minute penalty when Chris Jones put them ahead again.

But the fighting qualities of the Chiefs came to the fore once more when they hauled themselves level for a second time, Radek Meidl hitting his sixth goal of the season at 45.17.

Gospel had proved his quality in the Chiefs goal all night – turning away 39 of 43 shots – but he was to be beaten one last time when Wildcats’ player-coach Aaron Nell showed why he is the league’s top scorer by firing the game-winner at 53.58.