Leeds Knights bid for NIHL National runners-up spot suffers ahead of final weekend
LEEDS KNIGHTS may have hit back impressively from a disappointing night on home ice on Saturday – but it may have come too late to earn them runners-up in NIHL National.
Going into the final weekend of the regular season when four more points will be up for grabs, Ryan Aldridge’s team sit third in the overall standings, leapfrogging Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Steeldogs thanks to a 7-5 win at Bees IHC last night.
It leaves them three points off the team currently sat in second spot – Swindon Wildcats – who can seal runners-up with a regulation win at the Steeldogs on Friday night.
Leeds face the longest trip of the schedule on the final weekend when they head to Basingstoke Bison before hosting the Steeldogs on Sunday.
Leading points scorer Kieran Brown lived up to his status with a five-point night in Slough last night, opening the scoring at 6.39 before Ethan Hehir doubled the advantage with his eighth of the campaign at 13.51.
Two goals inside a minute brought the hosts level but a strong second period producing three goals put the Knights into a commanding position.
Ben Solder struck at 26.47 to make it 3-2 before Jamie Chilcott and fellow defenceman Jordan Griffin – who had returned from a long injury lay-off the night before - also got on the board.
Adam Barnes made it 6-2 on the power play in the 48th minute before the Bees produced a late surge, reducing the deficit to two goals with strikes from Will Stead and Juha Lindgren with his second.
Archie Hazeldine eased any nerves of a complete turnabout when he made it 7-5 at 58.17, with Lindgren completing his hat-trick for the hosts with one second remaining.
On Saturday, Leeds fell behind early to Peterborough Phantoms, levelled through Barnes at 26.35 only for Alex Padelek to make it two for the night shortly after.
Nathan Salem made it 3-1 at 29.56, Hazeldine replied at 34.30 but Petr Stepanek restored the two-goal lead at 48.08, Salem sealing a deserved road win with an empty-net strike at 57.23.