IT was another bumper weekend for Leeds Knights as they extended their NIHL National regular season winning streak to nine games to keep pace with leaders Milton Keynes Lightning. 
Kieran Brown was on fire as he fired home six goals across two nights in the wins over Solway Sharks, picking up eight points in total. 
The Knights came home from their latest trip to Dumfries on the back of a 5-3 win over Martin Grubb’s team before enjoying a 5-1 victory at The Castle on Sunday.
With the Lightning also picking up four points in their weekend double-header with Peterborough Phantoms, it means the Knights are still one point behind them in second place, but with two games in hand. 
All eyes will now turn to Ice Sheffield on New Year’s Eve as Ryan Aldridge’s players look to overcome semi-final opponents Sheffield Steeldogs and reach their second NIHL National Cup Final in three years. 
The Yorkshire rivals are tied at 2-2 after the first leg in Leeds on December 20. 
On Sunday, the Knights were stunned by the Sharks when import forward John Dunbar fired the visitors ahead inside three minutes. 
The Knights went in at the first intermission level thanks to Matt Barron’s seventh-minute equaliser but - like in Dumfries the previous night - it was the second period which proved decisive. 
It was Brown who got the ball rolling when intercepting the puck on a Sharks power play in the Knights zone and then breaking clear down the middle before going five-hole on Jordan Marr at 22.29.
Six minutes later, it was 3-1 when Jordan Buesa found Brown off the right boards with the Knights’ skipper beating Marr from six yards out. 
Barely a minute had passed before the Knights were on the board again, a power play seeing Matt Bissonnette work well behind the net before finding Fin Bradon all alone in front from where he fired home his 16th goal of the season.
In the 33rd minute, Brown secured his second hat-trick of the weekend when an incisive pass from Noah McMullin allowed him to redirect the puck past Marr to make it 5-1. 
The Sharks rallied in the third, but the Knights were able to close the game out. 
On Saturday, after a goalless first period, the Knights cut loose in the second 20. 
It was Brown who broke the deadlock with two goals in 36 seconds, the first arriving with 23.03 on the clock. 
Jordan Griffin then continued his impressive scoring form, when he made it 3-0 just before the halfway mark - his third goal in as many league games. 
Canadian Nolan Gardiner replied for the hosts with a 34th-minute powerplay strike but it wasn’t long before the Knights restored their three-goal lead, Innes Gallacher pouncing at 37.24.
The Sharks cut the deficit to two goals again - through captain Liam Stenton - at 43.39 but, again, the Knights pulled away, Brown sealing his hat-trick with a penalty shot at 46.36 after Kell Beattie was called for interference. 
Stenton scored his second, this time on the power play at 57.56, but the Knights held firm.