LEEDS KNIGHTS made it a perfect four-point weekend on home ice when they enjoyed an exhilarating 11-3 win over Bristol Pitbulls.
The goal-fest at The Castle came just 48 hours after an entertaining 9-6 win over Romford Raiders in front of another bumper home crowd.
Ahead of Saturday’s visit from Yorkshire derby rivals Hull Seahawks (face-off 6.30pm) it means the Knights are two points adrift of leaders Milton Keynes Lightning with a game in hand.
Matt Bissonnette led the way for the Knights against Bristol with a hat-trick and two assists. It took a while for the Knights to find the breakthrough but, once they did, there was no stopping them.
Finn Bradon didn’t break the deadlock until 13.47 but it was 3-0 by the time the teams went into the first intermission after Innes Gallacher and then Bissonnette on the power play beat Harry Thomas.
Captain Kieran Brown made it 4-0 just 71 seconds into the second period before the visitors got on the board through Mitch Walinski's power play strike 90 seconds later.
Mac Howlett darted through to make it 5-1 in the 25th minute and although Walinski was quick to reply 26.08, so was Bissonnette with his second of the night just 34 seconds later.
Brown produced a superb pass through his legs from the right circle to set up Bissonnette for his hat-trick marker at 35.41 before Harrison Walker was beaten for a third time at the other end by Mason Lipsey three minutes later.
Ethan Hehir drove down the left before beating Thomas with a fierce shot in the 42nd minute to make it 8-3 and it wasn’t long before Brown grabbed his second, deftly redirecting a Bissonnette pass into the roof of the net.
Defenceman Krisjanis Fugalis then got in on the act with his second goal of the season before Matt Haywood was rewarded with a power play strike from close range with just 22 seconds remaining.
As in the recent NIHL National Cup Final, it was anything but simple when the Knights welcomed Romford to The Castle on the Friday.
The Raiders raced into a 3-0 lead inside seven minutes through goals from George Norcliffe, Elliott Dewey and Reed Morison and increased their advantage further early in the second through Andrew Shewfelt.
But the Knights quickly rallied, Howlett cutting the deficit at 22.16 before Matt Barron made it 4-2 on the power play three minutes later.
Barron made it a one-goal game soon after, although the Raiders produced a quick response of their own to make it 5-3 through Brandon Ayliffe at 28.52.
Barron then completed a superb hat-trick at 32.01 before the Knights finally hauled themselves level through Haywood just under two minutes later.
A second power play goal from Barron got the Knights ahead for the first time on the night but the teams went in level after Jake Sylvester responded at 37.40.
It was a superb strike from Noah McMullin that separated the teams early in the third, burying his shot into the roof of the net and, this time, there was no way back for the visitors.
Gallacher got his rewards for another impressive performance when he made it 8-6 in the 47th minute, the points being secured when Jordan Buesa fired into the empty net with just 47 seconds remaining.
