Planet Ice NIHL National Division leaders Leeds Knights strengthened their grip on top spot after edging MK Lightning 3-2 in their top-of-the-table showdown on Friday night.
The Knights moved seven points clear of their nearest rivals after a hard-fought win at the Castle, but that gap would be reduced the following day as Lightning bounced back with an 8-3 home win against Peterborough Phantoms.
Leeds were scheduled to play Raiders IHC on Sunday, but electrical problems outside of the club’s control meant both of the Raiders’ scheduled home games over the weekend were postponed. However, the Knights do now have games in hand on the teams around them.
Below the top two, Swindon Wildcats endured a mixed weekend. An 8-1 home win over Solway Sharks saw the weekend begin in the best possible manner, but they couldn’t go 2/2 on Sunday as in-form Hull Seahawks defeated them 6-2 to record their third successive four-point weekend and move up to fourth in the standings.
Elsewhere, the Phantoms bounced back from their Saturday night defeat in Milton Keynes by putting Sheffield Steeldogs to the sword the following day in an 11-2 thrashing at Planet Ice Peterborough.
Telford Tigers went 2/2 over the weekend by defeating Bees IHC home and away, while bottom-of-the-table Bristol Pitbulls’ only game of the weekend ended in defeat as Solway ran out 5-3 winners on the road.
Below the NIHL National Division, there was plenty more high-quality action as teams began to book places in their respective cup finals.
Full results for the weekend can be found below. Thanks to our friends at NIHL Stats, you can also check out the latest results from the WNIHL and junior leagues.
Fri 26th Jan Leeds Knights 3-2 Milton Keynes Lightning L
Sat 27th Jan Milton Keynes Lightning 8-3 Peterborough Phantoms L
Sat 27th Jan Raiders IHC P-P Bristol Pitbulls L
Sat 27th Jan Sheffield Steeldogs 1-4 Hull Seahawks L
Sat 27th Jan Swindon Wildcats 8-1 Solway Sharks L
Sat 27th Jan Telford Tigers 8-5 Bees IHC L
Sun 28th Jan Bees IHC 5-6 Telford Tigers L
Sun 28th Jan Bristol Pitbulls 3-5 Solway Sharks L
Sun 28th Jan Hull Seahawks 6-2 Swindon Wildcats L
Sun 28th Jan Peterborough Phantoms 11-2 Sheffield Steeldogs L
Sun 28th Jan Raiders IHC P-P Leeds Knights L
Sat 27th Jan Blackburn Hawks 7-3 Solihull Barons C SF
Sat 27th Jan Hull Jets 2-2 Billingham Stars C SF
Sun 28th Jan Billingham Stars 12-3 Hull Jets C SF
Sun 28th Jan Solihull Barons 4-6 Blackburn Hawks C SF
Sat 27th Jan Invicta Dynamos 2-3 Streatham Redhawks C SF
Sat 27th Jan Slough Jets 6-3 Chelmsford Chieftains C SF
Sun 28th Jan Chelmsford Chieftains 4-4 Slough Jets C SF
Sun 28th Jan Oxford City Stars 3-7 Milton Keynes Thunder L
Sun 28th Jan Streatham Redhawks 4-2 Invicta Dynamos C SF
Sat 27th Jan Coventry NIHL Blaze 1-3 Sutton Sting C SF
Sat 27th Jan Sheffield Titans 1-9 Telford Tigers NIHL 2 C SF
Sun 28th Jan Sutton Sting 3-2 Coventry NIHL Blaze C SF
Sun 28th Jan Telford Tigers NIHL 2 10-5 Sheffield Titans C SF
Sat 27th Jan Haringey Huskies 2-4 Guildford Phoenix C SF
Sat 27th Jan Peterborough Phantoms NIHL 2 4-2 Basingstoke Buffalo C SF
Sun 28th Jan Basingstoke Buffalo P-P Peterborough Phantoms NIHL 2 C SF
Sun 28th Jan Cardiff Fire 5-4 Guildford Phoenix L/C
Photo credit: Hull Seahawks / Adam Everitt Photography
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