Leeds Knights: Sam Gospel on the numbers game, goalie rivalries and fending off all-comers

Heading into a weekend double-header against Peterborough Phantoms - the first instalment of which is tonight at Elland Road Ice Arena (6.30pm) - the Knights find themselves embroiled in a three-horse race for the regular season league title.

As a result of last weekend’s results, the Knights currently sit top, one point above both Milton Keynes Lightning and Swindon Wildcats, the latter having played a game more.

With 18 games to go, it is looking likely this title run-in will go deeper than the last two years when the Knights won with a handful of games to spare on both occasions.

Throw in a two-legged NIHL National Cup final against Romford Raiders on February 15 and 16 and there will be little chance of rest for Gospel and his team-mates.

But it isn’t just on a team basis where the challenge has come from.

Gospel - widely-regarded as the second-tier best goaltender since the first-ever NIHL National season back in 2019 - has faced his toughest challenge yet, perhaps, to that unofficial position as the league’s No 1 starting netminder.

The allowance for this season of import goalies for teams - previously restricted as a way of helping develop homegrown talent - was a game-changer for some teams.

Pitting himself against the likes of Max Wright at Berkshire Bees, dual national Hayen Lavigne at Peterborough Phantoms and Bristol Pitbulls’ Tommy Nappier was something Gospel was happy to take on, so far retaining his position at the top of the netminding stats.

In terms of goalies who have made over 30 league starts, Gospel is out in front in terms of both save percentage - 91.76 - and Goals Against Average (per game) - 2.5.

His closest rival is actually another British goalie in Swindon’s Renny Marr, with the Bees’ Wright next in line on a team that is rooted to the bottom of the standings.

“It’s been a different challenge coming up against import goalies,” said Gospel. “You look at the stats and I’m happy where I am.

“For the past couple of years, there’s only really been myself and a couple of other guys in the 91, 92 per cent for saves - but this season, there are five or six goalies up there.

“So it’s a bigger and better challenge and it’s nice to have a lot more goalies pushing and it’s nice to be able to see them nipping at my heels in terms of numbers.

“I am interested in the numbers. I think that’s natural. A lot of goaltending is out of your control, so the stats are a good way of showing you where you’re at and how you are playing and I’m happy with where my game is at at the moment.”

In terms of the overall, Gospel believes that, as the league has evolved and improved, teams have simply got better at recruiting, hence the competitive nature from top to bottom.

The Bees may be cut off from the 10 teams above them, for example but have twice beaten the Knights, as well as Milton Keynes in their own borrowed building in Slough.

Such results have helped prevent any one team from striking out on their own this year.

The fact that Leeds have enjoyed so much success over the past two years means they automatically are the team everyone else wants to beat more than any other.

“We knew coming in that everyone else had got a lot better and it has been hard, there’s no doubt about that,” added Gospel. “We’ve dropped points where, as a group, we probably felt like we shouldn’t have dropped points.

“But that shouldn’t take any credit away from the teams we have dropped points to, they have improved and it’s just made for a tougher season.

“Teams have bought better imports over and also have got smarter in their recruitment.

“We’ve recruited really well again, in terms of keeping our imports. Noah is so steady back there for us and I think this season a lot of teams learned from that, having that quality import D-man.

“And teams just play differently against you when you’re successful and have won things - it’s only natural.

“Everyone raises their game against us.”