Leeds Knights still top but early advantage over NIHL National rivals is erased
NOBODY said it was going to be easy.
As quick as Leeds Knights stole a march on Yorkshire rivals Hull Seahawks on Saturday night, any advantage gained in the NIHL National standings was quickly snatched away within 24 hours.
The Knights were well worth their 6-3 win on home ice, in front of a sell-out Elland Road Ice Arena crowd, but they couldn’t repeat the feat 24 hours later in East Yorkshire.
It was close though.
As result, the Knights remain top but level on points with Milton Keynes Lightning and Romford Raiders, who have played one game less. The Seahawks are one point further back in fourth, also having played a game less.
Understandably, the Seahawks were out for revenge, although both sides were clearly up for the fight.
Rival goalies Sam Gospel and Dmitri Zimozdra both proved immovable in the first 20 minutes - a trend that continued throughout most of the night - and it meant there was nothing to split the derby rivals by the time the first intermission came around.
The breakthrough, when it came, was early in the second period, Jason Hewitt setting up Lee Bonner at the top of the right circle from where the left-hander unleashed an unstoppable shot past Gospel with 23.08 on the clock.
Grade A scoring chances were at more of a premium compared to the previous night and it took until the closing moments of the second before the Knights were able to draw level.
A boarding call on Emil Svec gave the Knights their fourth power play opportunity of the game and, this time, they made it count, Mac Howlett - off a feed from Bissonnette - firing through traffic from the top of the left circle to draw his team level with eight seconds of the period remaining.
There was still little to choose between the two teams as another typically feisty encounter continued into the third - but it was another power play opportunity that was to prove crucial, this time going the way of Hull.
Jordan Griffin (cross-checking) and Jordan Buesa (roughing) went to the box for Leeds, while Johnny Corneil (roughing) took a seat for Hull.
Just over a minute of the man advantage had elapsed before the blow came, Emil Svec firing towards net with Bonner the man to get the vital touch and redirect the puck into the net at 55.12.
The Knights threw everything they had at the Seahawks, but were slightly hampered by a 2+2 call on Kieran Brown in the 57th minute and they could not find a way past the impressive Zimozdra for a second time.