Leeds Knights quickly switch sights to NIHL National play-offs
HAVING had a couple of days to process their devastating NIHL National Cup loss to Sheffield Steeldogs, Leeds Knights’ must now quickly turn their attention towards their one remaining chance of silverware in 2025-26.
The NIHL National play-offs don’t start for a couple of weeks, but the remaining four league games will be used by head coach Ryan Aldridge to get his players galvanised and ready for the post-season.
In a campaign hindered by endless injury issues, Aldridge acknowledges his team’s play-off hopes have already taken a significant blow.
Selection for the Great Britain Under-18 squad for the Division 2A World Championships in Romania means youngsters Jonas Bennett, Danny Harrison, Liam Hine, Daragh Spawforth and Edgars Vengis will all be missing for the final weekend of the group stage.
Should Leeds make the Final Four Weekend in Coventry, they will also be missing for that.
But despite the long odds facing Leeds in reclaiming the play-off crown they won back in 2023, Aldridge is determined for his team to make their mark.
“We’re a team that wants to be a winning team,” said Aldridge, ahead of a weekend which sees them host Romford Raiders on Saturday ahead of a trip to Telford Tigers 24 hours later. “So we’ve got to take the highs and lows out of (Wednesday’s final), see what was good, what wasn’t good and move on.
“The rest of the season is key, obviously, but we need to rest some bodies.
“We’re going to make a run at the play-offs, we’re not just going to give it up, we want to try and cause some trouble for other teams.
“We’ve got to be realistic here. We’re short enough as it is and then five of that team are going to be away with GB Under-18s, so it is what it is.
“But it’s also about next year of course, we’re already thinking about that and we know we need to build again.
“So this weekend is about trying to keep momentum going, we want to try and bounce back from Wednesday - we don’t like losing two games in a row.
“But it’s also about letting some bodies recover and getting ready for play-offs.”
Seahawks top of the Yorkshire standings
Hull Seahawks moved above Leeds into second in then standings after coming from behind to beat Sheffield Steeldogs on Friday night.
Two days on from their dramatic NIHL National Cup final win in overtime against leeds, the Steeldogs went ahead at Ice Sheffield through a short-handed marker from Nathan Ripley in the 32nd minute.
But the visitors quickly turned the tables in the third period, levelling on the power play through Johnny Corneil at 41.00 before captain Bobby Chamberlain got them ahead less than two minutes later, again on the man advantage.
The Seahawks completed a memorable five minutes of play when Corneil grabbed his second of the night at 45.14 for a 3-1 lead the Seahawks held on to to move two points clear of their hosts and Leeds.
The Seahawks take a night off before hosting a Bristol Pitbulls side already out of play-off contention on Sunday (5.30pm).
The Steeldogs head to Scotland to face a Solway Sharks’ team still trying to force their way into the post-season with four games remaining.