A HECTIC schedule of three games in four days saw Leeds Knights remain among the front-runners for NIHL National honours as we go through the quarter-way mark of the 2025-26 season.
A return of four points from a possible six represented a good extended weekend for head coach Ryan Aldridge and his players.
A 5-1 derby win at home to Hull Seahawks on Thursday was followed by a 7-2 win at The Castle over Telford Tigers on Saturday.
Sadly, on Sunday, the Knights were unable to extend their winning streak to three games when a return fixture with Telford in Shropshire ended in a 6-1 defeat.
It leaves the Knights second in the table, two points off leaders Swindon Wildcats and one point ahead of Sheffield Steeldogs in third.
The Knights actually took the lead in Telford through a 14th-minute power play strike from Liam Peyton.
It was still a one-goal game after 40 minutes, although it was Telford who were ahead with second period strikes from Scott McKenzie and Brynley Capps.
It remained close until the last 10 minutes which is when the home side strengthened their grip on the game, scoring three goals in just over five minutes.
Thomas Byrne made it 3-1 at 51.13 before former Knights forward Tate Shudra beat Sam Gospel with a shorthanded marker at 54.13.
Telford then took full advantage of a major penalty call on Edgars Vengis for a check to the head when they scored twice more, Eric Henderson making it 5-1 at 56.59 before David Thomson wrapped up the scoring with 36 seconds remaining.
The night before at The Castle, Innes Gallacher was the start of the show with a hat-trick in a convincing win for the Knights, who were without captain Kieran Brown for both games against Telford.
Gallacher was first to strike at 1.15 before Finley Bradon doubled the advantage just over six minutes later.
Three goals in as many second period minutes effectively settled the game, Matt Bissonnette scoring short-handed at 23.28 before Gallacher bagged his second and Mac Howlett his second of the season at 26.15.
Patrick Brown hit back for Telford on the powerplay early in the third, but the Knights profited from a power play of their own when Balint Pakozdi scored at 49.31.
The lead was stretched further five minutes later when Gallacher completed his hat-trick night before Danny Rose grabbed a late consolation for the Tigers.
It marked a second triumph in three days on home ice for the Knights after their Thursday night derby clash against Hull - when new import defenceman Sam Dunn made his debut.
A typically lively encounter between the two teams saw the Knights take a third-minute lead through a piledriver from Brown.
Quick-thinking from a face-off then saw Fin Bradon set up Daragh Spawforth for a close-range finish to make it 2-0 at 14.36.
The Seahawks made it a one-goal game when Johnny Corneil tipped in from Emil Svec on the power play at 24.22 but the Knights would go into the second break 4-1 ahead thanks to a bullet from Arturs Mickevics at 26.28 and a second for Brown at 38.57, following good work by Bissonnette.
It was the same combination which saw the Knights seal the game with a shorthanded goal in the 48th minute, Bissonnette breaking down the left before teeing up Brown to complete his hat-trick and seal a deserved 5-1 win.
