Leeds Knights stay ahead and set up derby Cup semi-final while Hull Seahawks slide
LEEDS KNIGHTS may have seen their six-game winning streak ended on Sunday night, but a big favour from elsewhere ensured they remain clear leaders in NIHL National – albeit by just the one point.
Peterborough Phantoms were able to do something nobody else had managed since October 20 when Milton Keynes Lightning beat the Knights 3-2 after a shootout at Elland Road.
The Phantoms saw off the Knights 6-4 at Mallard Road – needing an empty-netter to make sure of victory on Sunday – on a night which saw captain Kieran Brown continue his rich vein of form with a hat-trick of goals, taking his tally to 10 in the last three games.
But the Knights’ disappointment over the end of their winning streak – their fourth goal in Peterborough came from Finley Bradon – was soothed slightly when news came through of the Lightning losing out 3-2 in overtime at the improving Telford Tigers.
That limited Tim Wallace’s team to just a point and ensured they stay one adrift of defending champions Leeds.
On Monday night, the Knights used their position as top seeds to choose to play derby rivals Sheffield Steeldogs in the two-legged NIHL National Cup semi-final. It is the one second-tier title Ryan Aldridge’s team are yet to win.
The Steeldogs propelled themselves back up to third on Sunday after bouncing back from their 5-2 loss at Milton Keynes 48 hours earlier – but only after they were dragged into overtime by visitors Romford Raiders.
Sam Tremblay thought that he had won the Ice Sheffield encounter for the hosts when he struck at 58.11 on the power play to make it 3-2 – adding to earlier goals from Jonathan Phillips and Walker Sommer.
But Adam Laishram and his team had other ideas, Tjay Anderson chalking out Tremblay’s strike with a shorthanded goal 34 seconds later.
It was enough to earn the visitors a point but not two, as Tremblay doubled up for the night with the winner just 14 seconds into overtime.
Hull Seahawks emerged from their one-game weekend in seventh spot after seeing their losing streak extended to four games in a 6-5 defeat at home to Solway Sharks.
The chasing pack behind the top two of Leeds and Milton Keynes remains severely congested though, with Matty Davies’s team just two points off third-placed Steeldogs.
But that will do little to dampen head coach Davies’s mood, as he watched his team continually chasing the game.
The Seahawks were able to equalise on four occasions through two goals each for Owen Sobchak and Emil Svec. But Liam Stenton put Solway ahead for a fifth time in the 54th minute and, as Hull desperately chased another equaliser, Caly Robertson hit the empty net at 58.29.
Owen Bruton made it a one-goal game again, but there were only 13 seconds remaining.
"You go through these times during a season and we’ve got to come out of this and figure it out because – and people might say its arrogance or whatever – but this team is too good to keep losing,” said Davies.