Leeds Knights, Hull Seahawks and Sheffield Steeldogs in action - NIHL National Saturday Review

The Knights had to survive a third period fightback from their third-placed NIHL National rivals but they held firm to extend their winning streak to six games.

And it was Howlett who shone brightest for the home side, reaching his hat-trick inside 23 minutes at Elland Road Ice Arena, with Bow Neely and Matt Barron also getting on the scoresheet to give the Knights a 5-1 lead after two periods.

“It was a brilliant performance,” said Aldridge of Howlett, a player he has known from a number of years from their time together at the Swindon-based Okanagan Hockey Academy.

“When Mac comes into the locker room with the right mindset, nobody can handle him and I thought he was absolutely phenomenal, from start to finish.

“He was flying but, also, Oli (Endicott) and Matty (Haywood) made some good plays to help him get those goals – I thought OIi was also phenomenal.”

Hull Seahawks looked like staging an inspired comeback on the road at Telford Tigers but ultimately came up short to lose to Tom Watkins’s team for a third straight time this season.

Matty Davies’s team found themselves trailing 3-0 just after the halfway point through goals from Finlay Howells (2) and James Smith.

But they were within one by the end of the second after Emil Svec and Finlay Ulrick both got on the board, the second strike coming with just 25 seconds left in the period.

The visitors pushed hard for an equaliser but the next goal, when it arrived, came at the other end when Jack Watkins beat Jordan McLaughlin at 57.00.

Hull grabbed themselves another lifeline when they responded just 49 seconds later through Svec’s second, but it wasn’t enough.

Cam Brownley got on the board for Sheffield Steeldogs at Milton Keynes Lightning as the visitors looked to snap a three-game losing streak.

But the 53rd-minute strike was immaterial, Stevie Weeks’ under-strength team already 9-0 down with the hosts eventually running out 10-1 winners.