Sheffield Steeldogs and Leeds Knights enjoy maximum NIHL National returns

Both collected four-point hauls to remain in the top five of NIHL National, allowing them to gain some ground on the top three of leaders Telford Tigers, second-placed Swindon Wildcats and Milton Keynes Lightning.

Both enjoyed handsome wins on home ice, Sheffield Steeldogs leading the way with a 6-0 demolition of Bees IHC, Leeds Knights posting their own handsome victory in an 8-2 triumph over Lightning.

The Steeldogs were 2-0 ahead after the first at Ice Sheffield thanks to Lee Bonner and Matt Bissonnette, the latter adding a second at 26.53 before defenceman Lee Haywood got in on the act just after the halfway mark.

The third period was marred by several incidents, one which saw Jason Hewitt ejected for fighting in the 48th minute, while Bees’ Zaine McKenzie was for the same offence nine minutes later.

The Steeldogs did make it 5-0 while shorthanded when Thomas Palmer pounced at 48.43, the rout being completed with just 15 seconds remaining through Haywood.

On Saturday, the Steeldogs made a worthwhile long trip south to Hampshire to take on Basingstoke Bison, returning home with two points in a 4-2 win.

After a goalless first, Brady Doxey broke the deadlock at 28.04 before Bonner turned a penalty kill inside out when scoring shorthanded to make it 2-0 at 36.33.

The hosts made it a one-goal game through Hallam Wilson at 42.45, although Hewitt gave the visitors more breathing space with 10 minutes remaining.

Bison player-coach Ashley Tait ensured there was no switching off by the Steeldogs when he made it 3-2 with just over four minutes left, but the insurance marker the visitors sought arrived with just 45 seconds remaining when Bissonnette scored an empty netter.

Kieran Brown, Adam Barnes and Harry Gulliver all scored twice as Leeds hammered Milton Keynes 8-2 at home. The triumph came less than 24 hours after their 4-2 win in Milton Keynes the night before.

Matty Davies and Cole Shudra also got on the board in front of a 1,300-plus crowd at Elland Road.

Leeds were ahead through Brown’s double at the end of the first and although the Lightning got back into the game in the second period through Andrew Barnes-Garner and Sam Talbot, they found themselves three behind after 40 with Barnes (2) and Shudra ensuring the hosts retained control.

Davies and Gulliver’s double completed a handsome win for the hosts in the third.

On Saturday, the Knights fell behind to a second-minute strike from Sean Norris, but were level after two periods through Barnes’s 31st-minute strike.

Shudra and a power play marker from Brown at 51.05 saw the Knights put themselves into an excellent position, although a quick response from Norris just over two minutes later ensured a tense finale, the game being settled by a second strike from Brown with just 45 seconds remaining.