Leeds Knights enjoy perfect weekend to clinch third straight NIHL National league titleare crowned league champions

Head coach Ryan Aldridge and his players celebrated in front of a packed Elland Road Ice Arena following their 4-2 victory over Solway Sharks.

They saved their best until last, the win over Solway being their 11th straight, their best run of the season – and one which came hot on the heels of victories over main title rivals Milton Keynes Lightning 24 hours earlier and Romford Raiders on Friday night.

Doubts had been voiced about whether the Knights could repeat their achievements of the previous two seasons but, when it mattered most and the pressure was at its most intense, they delivered.

Now they will aim for an unprecedented treble, having added the league crown to the NIHL National Cup they won last month against Romford.

Goals from Matt Bissonnette, Mac Howlett, Matt Haywood and Bow Neely were enough to get the job done for Leeds, who will now close out their regular season next weekend at home to Peterborough Phantoms and at Yorkshire rivals Hull Seahawks – two teams who they will also face in the play-off group stage.

On Saturday, there was little to choose between Leeds and Milton Keynes in front of a packed 2,553 crowd at Elder Gate.

The Knights have once again proved a resilient group this year and had to be so again, coming from behind to get the job done after former Leeds defenceman Ben Solder put the Lightning ahead on the power play at 13.39.

But captain Kieran Brown made it 17 goals in 11 games when he dragged his team level just over two minutes into the second period, which is where the game was effectively won.

Just over six minutes later, Brown was involved again, combining with Matt Barron to set up Matthew Bissonnette to establish a 2-1 lead.

It got even better for the Knights in the 34th minute when Ollie Endicott – scorer of the opening goal after just 17 seconds in Romford the night before – made it 3-1.

Once two ahead, it was a case of trying to see the game out, something the Knights have proved accomplished at all season.

Milton Keynes pulled goalie Jordan Hedley for the extra skater with just under three minutes remaining, but it proved in vain, the Knights sealing two crucial points to move four clear at the top and giving themselves the opportunity to make in front of their own fans.

Elsewhere in NIHL National, Hull saw off Peterborough 4-1 on home ice ahead of Sunday night’s renewal between the two in Cambridgeshire, which saw the Phantoms gain instant revenge in a 5-3 win.

OIn Saturday, first-period goals from Emil Svec and Lee Bonner brought a power play response from Peterborough’s Luke Ferrara. But the Seahawks restored their two-goal lead through a power play goal by captain Bobby Chamberlain before Svec doubled his tally on the man advantage.

On Sunday, the Seahawks went 2-0 ahead through Jason Hewitt and Jamie Chilcott, only for the hosts to level before the first break with strikes from Luke Ferrara and Jasper Foster.

Jarvis Hunt and Seahawks captain Bobby Chamberlain then exchanged second period goals before a second from Ferrara gave peterborough the edge going into the third.

They pressed home their advantage when Foster grabbed his second at 42.57 for a 5-3 lead they hosts held on to.

Sheffield Steeldogs came off second-best in their only game of the weekend, going down 7-4 at Solway.

Ben Morgan’s team found themselves up against it at 5-0 inside 25 minutes but staged a riveting comeback to make it 5-4 with just over 15 minutes remaining through strikes from Elmeri Hallfors (2), Walker Sommer and Brady Doxey. But Solway won with goals from Bailey Thomson and Caly Robertson.