NIHL preview | 1-3 March

A tasty affair between Peterborough Phantoms and MK Lightning will kick off the latest weekend of action across the NIHL on Friday night. 

Lightning start the weekend second in the Planet Ice NIHL National Division standings, eight points adrift of Leeds Knights.

Both of their games across the weekend appear difficult assignments, with Friday’s game in Cambridgeshire followed up by a Saturday home game against Telford Tigers – another of the sides currently occupying a play-off position.

Milton Keynes will look to close the gap this weekend to runaway leaders Leeds, who come into their latest fixtures off the back of a hat-trick of wins last week.

The Knights visit Solway Sharks on Saturday before returning home the following day to host Swindon Wildcats – who have catapulted up the division in recent weeks after winning 14 of their last 18 matches.

The Wildcats’ opening game of the weekend is against Bees IHC, who are currently eighth in the standings and one of three teams embroiled in a fight to secure a play-off position.

The Slough-based side end their weekend with a home game against Bristol Pitbulls on Sunday evening, and will be keen to avoid finishing the week empty-handed.

Raiders IHC and Solway are the other two sides looking to avoid missing out on the top eight. They meet on Sunday evening, in a game which could have real ramifications on the standings.

Elsewhere, Hull Seahawks are in action away at top-four hopefuls Peterborough in one of the fixtures of the weekend on Sunday evening, while Sheffield Steeldogs face back-to-back away games at the Pitbulls and Telford.

Full fixtures for the weekend can be found below. Thanks to our friends at NIHL Stats, you can also check out the latest fixtures from the WNIHL and junior leagues.

NIHL National Division –

Fri 1st Mar 7:30pm Peterborough Phantoms vs Milton Keynes Lightning L
Sat 2nd Mar 7:00pm Bristol Pitbulls vs Sheffield Steeldogs L
Sat 2nd Mar 5:30pm Hull Seahawks vs Raiders IHC L
Sat 2nd Mar 7:00pm Milton Keynes Lightning vs Telford Tigers L
Sat 2nd Mar 6:00pm Solway Sharks vs Leeds Knights L
Sat 2nd Mar 6:30pm Swindon Wildcats vs Bees IHC L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:00pm Bees IHC vs Bristol Pitbulls L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:15pm Leeds Knights vs Swindon Wildcats L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:30pm Peterborough Phantoms vs Hull Seahawks L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:15pm Raiders IHC vs Solway Sharks L
Sun 3rd Mar 6:00pm Telford Tigers vs Sheffield Steeldogs L

NIHL North 1 (Moralee) –

Sat 2nd Mar 6:00pm Blackburn Hawks vs Widnes Wild L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:30pm Billingham Stars vs Deeside Dragons L
Sun 3rd Mar 7:20pm Nottingham Lions vs Hull Jets L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:00pm Whitley Warriors vs Solihull Barons L
Sun 3rd Mar 6:00pm Widnes Wild vs Blackburn Hawks L

NIHL South 1 (Britton) –

Sat 2nd Mar 5:15pm Romford Buccaneers vs Streatham Redhawks L
Sat 2nd Mar 6:30pm Slough Jets vs Chelmsford Chieftains BC
Sun 3rd Mar 6:00pm Chelmsford Chieftains vs Milton Keynes Thunder L
Sun 3rd Mar 6:45pm Streatham Redhawks vs Oxford City Stars BC

NIHL North 2 (Laidler) –

Sat 2nd Mar 7:00pm Coventry NIHL Blaze vs Bradford Bulldogs L
Sat 2nd Mar 5:30pm Telford Tigers NIHL 2 vs Sutton Sting L
Sun 3rd Mar TBC Altrincham Aces vs Kingston Sharks L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:30pm Bradford Bulldogs vs Billingham Buccaneers L
Sun 3rd Mar 6:30pm Coventry NIHL Blaze vs Telford Tigers NIHL 2 L

NIHL South 2 (Wilkinson) –

Sat 2nd Mar 5:30pm Haringey Huskies vs Oxford Rising Stars L
Sat 2nd Mar 5:45pm Invicta Mustangs vs Guildford Phoenix L
Sat 2nd Mar 5:00pm Solent Junior Devils vs Streatham Black Hawks L
Sun 3rd Mar 6:45pm Cardiff Fire vs Haringey Huskies L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:30pm Lee Valley Lions vs Bristol Pitbulls NIHL 2 L
Sun 3rd Mar 6:15pm Oxford Rising Stars vs Invicta Mustangs L
Sun 3rd Mar 5:00pm Solent Junior Devils vs Chelmsford Warriors L

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