Swindon Wildcats v Leeds Knights: Ryan Aldridge expecting rivals to stay distance in NIHL National title race

The Knights leapfrogged the Wildcats back into second place last weekend, as a result of their two wins over Bristol Pitbulls and a late 4-3 loss for Aaron Nell’s team at Hull Seahawks.

The two meet tonight at Swindon’s Link Centre, therefore, with plenty at stake - both keen to overhaul current leaders Milton Keynes Lightning.

The Knights head down to Wiltshire three points ahead of Swindon given their 6-1 home win over Sheffield Steeldogs on Friday night.

It appears to be a three-horse race for the regular season crown and Aldridge expects his former club to stay the distance.

“They are a very solid, very mature hockey team and they are all-in this year,” said Aldridge, whose team hosted Sheffield Steeldogs on Friday night.

“They are very similar to us in the way they play and their import D, Ryan Wells has absolutely changed the way they play.

“They are deep and playing together as a unit right now and are dangerous for anyone to play against.”

Given the two teams effectively share the same ownership in Steve Nell, there will be no shortage of tension in Wiltshire tonight.

“There is always added pressure in the games between our two teams,” added Aldridge.

“They seem to go at it a little harder than they do against most teams and their building is always a very tough place to go.

“Losing the way they did so late in Hull last Sunday just means they will be even more fired up when we get there on Saturday, they need a bounce back.”

It is the second and last visit of the regular season to Swindon for the Knights, having lost 6-3 back in late September.

The Knights have won both encounters so far at home with the two completing their five-game head-to-head series on February 2 in West Yorkshire.

Against the Steeldogs, the Knights found it hard going at first, outshot in the first period and then going 1-0 down when Tate Shudra pounced to fire home a close-range effort at 28.30.

The Knights were soon level through Finley Bradon just over a minute later and it looked like the teams would go into the second intermission all-square until Noah McMullin fired through traffic with just 11 seconds of the period remaining.

It was a period the Knights had dominated and they picked up where they left off in the third, although it took them a while to extend their lead, going 3-1 ahead on the power play in the 49th minute when former Steeldogs’ favourite Matt Bissonnette set up Matt Barron in front to fire past Dan Crowe.

It was Barron who made it 4-1 just over a minute later, pouncing on a rebound after Jordan Griffin’s initial shot had been parried by Crowe.

A fortuitous bounce off the back-boards allowed Innes Gallacher to tee up an unmarked Bradon for his second from eight yards out at 54.01.

The scoring was completed three minutes later when Jordan Buesa redirected McMullin’s pass in from the edge of the crease.