LEEDS KNIGHTS produced a stunning performance on the road to clinch their place at the NIHL National Final Four Weekend in Coventry.
They then followed it up on home ice 24 hours later by doing the double over Milton Keynes Lightning with a 4-2 victory.
But it was the previous night in Milton Keynes where the heroics came to the fore, down to the bare bones in terms of bodies, the Knights dug deep to produce one of their best performances of the season to win 6-5.
After Sunday’s results, it means Leeds will take on Sheffield Steeldogs in the first semi-final at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena on Saturday (1.30pm) with Hull Seahawks and Swindon Wildcats locking horns in the later game.
The Knights - down to just seven forwards and five D-men - drafted in teenagers Jake Wigginton, Josh Hartley and Evan Bradon to provide cover on the night but had a mountain to climb when they went in at the break 2-0 down courtesy of strikes from Sean Norris and former Leeds’ favourite, Mac Howlett.
The second period saw the game turned on its head, though, first Owen Sobchak making it a one-goal game at 24.42 before Kieran Brown levelled just 46 seconds later.
Liam Peyton got the go-ahead goal for the visitors at 32.50 before two more followed in quick succession to leave the hosts rocking.
Bow Neely made it 4-2 at 33.27 before Finley Bradon got on the board just over a minute later.
The Lightning pushed back in the third and got back to within one goal with more than eight minutes remaining through strikes from Jordan Cownie (48.00) and Toms Rutkis (51.50) on the power play.
But as they chased the game and pulled netminder Jordan Hedley, Oli Endicott put the result beyond doubt with an empty net strike with 27 seconds remaining.
Jarvis Hunt pulled one back for Milton Keynes but, with just four seconds remaining, it was too little too late.
On Sunday back at The Castle, Leeds again found themselves 2-0 down early in the second period.
Former Knights’ forward Harry Gulliver had given the Lightning a seventh-minute lead before Rio Grinnell-Parke doubled the advantage at 23.03.
But less than a minute had passed before the Knights responded, Brown squeezing the puck through Will Kerlin from the left circle before he added a second on the powerplay just over two minutes later from the opposite side.
Another power play opportunity saw Matt Bissonnette fire through traffic from centre ice to put the Knights ahead at 28.59 and it was left to Sam Cooper to apply the finishing touch for the night when he converted a feed from Brown to make it 4-2 in the 47th minute.
