Leeds Knights enjoy champagne moment with NIHL title triumph

All season the Knights have set the pace in NIHL National and while there has been the occasional wobble, they have always managed to steer their campaign quickly back on track.

In the end, the Knights clinched the title in some comfort on Sunday night with four games to spare, courtesy of their 4-2 win at Telford Tigers and a 5-3 defeat for closest challengers Milton Keynes Lightning at bottom club Bees IHC.

Thee celebrations in Shropshire were, of course, a stark contrast to the mood on the way home from Cambridgeshire on Friday after the Knights were humbled 6-0 by Peterborough Phantoms in the first leg of the National Cup final.

The second leg of that comes this Friday at Elland Road Ice Arena and while the size of the task in front of them is mammoth, you wouldn’t put it past them going all out to make it a double triumph.

Unlike most other hockey-playing nations where the play-offs are king, in the UK it is all about the regular season crown, from the Elite League down and the Knights have got their hands on the one everyone wants.

A Saturday night home game against Swindon Wildcats was never the easiest proposition on paper and when Tomasz Malasinski made it 2-0 to the visitors at 26.09 some among the Knights’ faithful probably feared the worst.

But, as they have done on so many occasions this season, Leeds scored a bunch of goals in quick succession – Zach Brooks, Matt Haywood and Cole Shudra all scoring within four minutes of each other to snatch the lead back, before Kieran Brown sealed the points with two third-period strikes, the second an empty-netter.

Again on Sunday in Telford, it wasn’t made easy for the Knights, tied at 2-2 just before the halfway mark thanks to two goals from the stick of Haywood

But after Brown put them ahead for the first time on the night, there was only one winner, Haywood sealing the points with his hat-trick strike early in the third.

Just over 20 minutes later, the celebrations could truly begin.

In the Elite League, Sheffield Steelers’ hopes of matching the Knights’ achievement remain possible, but the window is fast closing, particularly after a 5-4 loss in overtime to second-placed Guildford Flames.

Three points from four on most weekends would be worth celebrating but, at this stage of the season, trailing leaders Belfast Giants by five points with just four games remaining, it is far from ideal.

Even if Belfast hadn’t also slipped up themselves in overtime at home to Cardiff Devils by the same scoreline, the Steelers would still need help from elsewhere to overhaul Adam Keefe’s side, who they visit on Friday night.

A 58th-minute shorthanded strike from Scott Allen earned the Steelers a point against the Flames, adding to earlier goals from Brett Neumann, Robert Dowd and Marc-Olivier Vallerand.

But the extra point went the way of the Flames just 30 seconds into overtime through Brett Ferguson.

On Saturday, the Steelers eased to a 4-1 victory over Nottingham Panthers through strikes from Allen (2), Danny Kristo and Daniel Ciampini.

Elsewhere in NIHL National, Hull Seahawks continue their strong finish to the season, coming from behind to win 4-3 at home to Bristol Pitbulls.

Sheffield Steeldogs eased to a 9-4 home win over Bees on Saturday, but fell 4-1 on the road 24 hours later to Peterborough.