LEEDS KNIGHTS completed their pre-season with a competitive double-header against Sheffield Steeldogs - losing out on both occasions. 


Saturday at The Castle saw the Knights stage a stirring comeback after going 7-1 down in a fiery encounter, but coming up just short in a 7-5 defeat. 


On Sunday, the two teams met again at Ice Sheffield, with the Steeldogs again prevailing, this time in a 2-1 victory. 


The Knights will now turn their attention to Friday night and their opening game of the NIHL National regular season at home to Hull Seahawks (face-off). 


Despite taking the lead after just 26 seconds through Kieran Brown, the Knights found themselves trailing 3-1 at the end of the first period after Walker Sommer, CJ Garcia and Bailey Yates responded for the Steeldogs. 


The situation got worse in the second period, the Knights falling further behind to a Michael Pelech redirect in the 24th minute before losing Balint Pakozdi for the rest of the night shortly after for an illegal check to the head. 


The resulting power play saw Garcia get his second of the night before Jordan O’Brien got in on the act when making it 6-1 to the visitors at 33.51. 


Nathan Ripley made the Knights’ evening worse when adding a seventh early in the third before Ryan Aldridge’s team then staged a spirited fightback. 


Cullen McLean made it 7-2 at 48.25 - his celebration sparking a melee between the players which left the Knights on a five-minute power play. 


They took advantage twice, first through Sam Dunn and then again when Bow Neely fired through traffic at 53.07 to make it 7-4. 


The deficit was reduced further when Sam Cooper got in on the act with just over two minutes remaining but the Knights came up just short.


On Sunday in Sheffield, the Knights found themselves chasing the game again after young defenceman Finley Williams put them ahead in the fourth minute. 


In an even contest, Sommer doubled the hosts’ lead when he beat Harrison Walker at 24.20. 


Owen Sobchak halved the deficit with a well-worked power play goal at 38.41 but that was as close as they got.