Leeds Knights enjoy maximum return against Bristol Pitbulls as NIHL National title rivals slip up

Having set the pace for the vast majority of the current NIHL National campaign and been the team for others to chase most weeks, Sunday brought a little boost which could prove to be of major significance to the Knights’ title hopes.

Moments after seeing their team leave the ice celebrating another four-point weekend by following up Saturday night’s 8-5 win at Bristol Pitbulls with an 8-1 home win over the same opponents, a loud cheer rang out from a small group of Leeds fans huddled together at the far end of the Elland Road rink.

It wasn’t for anything that had just occurred on the ice in front of them, but for events that were unfolding 210 miles away in Romford.

News was coming through that Raiders IHC were beating second-placed Milton Keynes Lightning, the lead being confirmed as a 6-4 win a short while later.

It means leaders Leeds, with just 11 games remaining, are now four points ahead of their nearest rivals with a game in hand.

Make no mistake, there are still plenty of twists and turns to be had in this enthralling title race and let’s not forget the continued, almost menacing presence of third-placed Peterborough Phantoms, just two points further back from the Lightning and still to play the top two.

But a little more daylight between Ryan Aldridge’s team and their closest challengers at this stage of the season will be most welcome.

As it was the previous night down in Bristol, there was little to choose between the two sides inside the first 20 minutes, the Knights 2-0 ahead at the first break thanks to goals from Matt Haywood, on the power play at 8.04, and defenceman Dylan Hehir, whose shot on net through traffic eluded Tyler Perre in the Bristol goal at 13.41.

It looked like it would remain the same at the next intermission after a largely uneventful second period, until Leeds exploded into life with three goals in three minutes.

Adam Barnes’s marker from the bottom of the left circle at 37.34 was quickly followed by strikes from Zach Brooks and the in-form Jake Witkowski.

An early goal from Cole Shudra just 15 seconds into the third confirmed what everybody inside the building already knew before Perre’s miserable night was completed by bullets from Howlett and Witkowski, the first from 10 yards out in centre ice, the latter from a tight angle at the bottom of the left circle.

Elliott Lewis ‘spoiled’ the party atmosphere when he poked home past replacement netminder Harrison Walker at 54.59 but it mattered little - other than to the promising young goalie of course - as the Knights saw out the game for their fifth straight win.

On Saturday, it was not so plain sailing for the Knights who, with just under 14 minutes left, were only one goal to the good after their former defenceman Ben Solder struck to make it 5-4.

But the visitors didn’t take long to double their advantage, the impressive Witkowski sealing a deserved hat-trick at 46.33.

Just under five minutes later it was game over when Shudra made it 7-4 with his second of the night and although Reece Kelly pulled one back at 53.56, the Knights held firm, Howlett adding an empty-net marker with 53 seconds remaining.

It was Witkowski who struck twice inside the first five minutes to put the visitors ahead, the deficit halved by Ed Bardley with a power play strike at 6.31.

The second period was equally tight, Archie Hazeldine and Howlett getting on the board for Leeds, with former Leeds Chiefs’ forward Caly Robertson and Nik Coric beating Sam Gospel at the other end.

Shudra doubled the Knights’ lead at 43.25 and even though Bristol stayed in the fight until the end, they simply couldn’t match their opponents’ firepower, something which was far more evident in the subsequent meeting at Elland Road just under 24 hours later.