Leeds Knights Fans’ Jury: Blue line scoring, Archie Hazeldine and preparing for NIHL National play-offs

Jim Piper, Manchester: It was a case of mixed fortunes again for Leeds Knights at the weekend.

The home side took on Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday and a seemingly flat performance saw them beaten.

The visitors took an early lead through Ales Padelek in the first period and, despite an equaliser from Adam Barnes in the second, a quick-fire double by Padelek and Nathan Salem around the half-hour mark saw the Phantoms take a 3-1 lead. Hazeldine pulled one back with the goal of the evening but Peterborough sealed the two points in the third period with Salem scoring his second and an empty net goal by Petr Stepanek.

After a long trip to Slough, Knights took a two-goal lead in the first period through Kieran Brown and Ethan Hehir but Bees, fighting for their play-off lives hit back with two goals in 30 seconds to square up the scoring by the end of the first.

Knights upped their game and Bees could not cope with our fast-attacking break outs and goals from Ben Solder, Jamie Chilcott and Jordan Griffin put us in a comfortable position after two periods.

Bees scored three goals in the third and Knight’s D-man-cum-forward Hazeldine scored his second of the weekend to ensure the points. The regular season ends this coming weekend with several league positions still to be resolved.

Nick Jackson, Leeds: A hard-fought weekend without a doubt and we got two much-needed points. It wasnt the best game Saturday night, Peterborough Phantoms came out and ghosted us (not sorry!) with a 5-2 win. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though, ourgoals coming from Archie Hazaldine and Adam Barnes.

Sunday was an away trip against the Bees and what a game that was. The defence were on fire for the Knights with Ben Solder, Jamie Chilcott, Jordan Griffin and Hazeldine all scoring, then Kieran Brown, Barnes and Ethan Hehir helped out too!

The win keeps us in third place and only three points behind Swindon Wildcats. It’s going to be an exciting last weekend for the league. Everyone is fighting to avoid Telford in the playoffs.

Hopefully, see you all on Sunday for the final home league game of the season and a chance to get the win over Sheffield Steeldogs.

Johnathan Grenwood, Halifax: Split weeks for Leeds, Sheffield and Swindon mean that much is still up for grabs as the curtain comes down on the regular season this weekend.

Only Telford and Basingstoke are aware of their final position on the ladder despite just two games remaining.

It sits this way as Peterborough visited Planet Ice on Saturday and took two points with a committed and consistent effort that has underpinned their run of seven wins in eight. Another maximum weekend and they themselves could finish as high as fourth. Doubles from Ales Padelek and Nathan Salem helped ensure the Phantoms were often in control despite an Adam Barnes equaliser at 1-1 and Archie Hazeldine finding the target to raise hopes at 2-3 towards the 40-minute mark.

The game finally went the away side’s way again mid-third, and ending with an empty net goal from Salem.

Sunday brought a response, however. D-man Hazeldine showed up strong yet again, with a man-of-the-match effort, that was complimented by the rest of the unit.

The 17-year-old was one of four blue-liners to light up for the Knights against Bees in a 12-goal contest. Ben Solder, Jamie Chilcott and Jordan Griffin were all on hand to re-establish an earlier lead to make it 5-2 after the second.

Adam Barnes grabbed a sixth in the last 20, in between three home responses, and then the Great Britain Under-18 international Hazeldine rounded off Leeds’ scoring.

He will now head off to Estonia as part of a squad hoping to take the World Championships by storm – alongside bit-part Leeds players, Mack Stewart and Carter Hamill.

Friday night’s match between Sheffield and Swindon could see the Knights’ hopes of runners-up spot quashed before they even travel to Hampshire to face Bison. But it could mean that Sunday becomes a winner-takes-all for West Yorkshire bragging rights at Elland Ropad

With so many permutations still possible across the whole of the NIHL National league and much undecided for both local sides it’s sure to be a cracking final regular season fixture!