LEEDS KNIGHTS moved up to second in the NIHL National standings by overcoming adversity to post a third straight four-point weekend.
A brilliant 5-2 win at Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday was followed by a 6-2 win on home ice against Solway Sharks, moving the defending champions to within three points of early-season leaders Swindon Wildcats, the only other team in the league to win both of their games.
Heading into Milton Keynes, the Knights were already missing experienced defenceman Jordan Griffin and Lewis Baldwin to injury, while forward Mac Howlett was sidelined with illness.
The visitors’ situation on the back end got even worse when they lost import D-man Matt Staudacher to injury for the rest of the game in the opening minutes.
But the Knights rallied and were able to continue their bright start when Balint Pakozdi put them ahead on the power play at 10.13.
A penalty shot awarded to the hosts then allowed Jordan Cownie to equalise when he beat Sam Gospel at 14.04.
But it was the Knights who went into the first intermission the happier of the two teams when Kieran Brown broke down centre ice to beat Jordan Hedley for a shorthanded marker at 19.22.
The Knights continued to outshoot the Lightning in a tight second period and got their reward when Edgars Vengis bagged his second of the season from close range to make it 3-1 at 38.14.
The Lightning pushed hard in the third but Gospel and those in front of him held firm - including killing off an 81-second 5-on-3 when they ran into penalty trouble.
The Lightning’s pressure eventually told when Archie Salisbury made it a one-goal game again at 54.40.
But hopes of completing a comeback disappeared for the hosts when Brown broke clear to restore the two-goal cushion at 58.45 before Oli Endicott capped a fine night’s work with a long-range empty netter just 44 seconds later.
On Sunday, it was 17-year-old forward Daragh Spawforth who got the ball rolling against the Sharks, good work by Peyton on the boards allowing the youngster to fire past Jordan Marr from the bottom of the right circle with 8.35 on the board.
It wasn’t until early in the second that the Knights doubled their lead, Brown firing home on the power play after good work by Pakozdi at 22.08 before Oli Endicott forced the puck over the line to make it 3-0 just over four minutes later.
It got even better for the hosts in the 36th minute when Innes Gallacher turned and fired from the left circle and into Marr’s top right-hand corner.
Solway got on the board just 19 seconds later, though, when Lewis Young beat Sam Gospel at 35.54.
The four-goal lead was restored when Finn Bradon latched on to a loose puck after a drive down the middle from Bow Neely and beat Marr from eight yards.
Dylan Stewart beat Gospel from close range on the power play to make it 5-2 before Brown chipped and chased before beating Marr from the bottom of the left circle at 57.00.
