NIHL preview | 8-10 March

Leeds Knights have the opportunity to clinch their second Planet Ice NIHL National Division title in as many years this weekend.

The Knights start the weekend 11 points clear at the top and can clinch the title with a win at second-placed MK Lightning on Saturday. Should they lose that game, the league leaders will have a second opportunity to take the crown when they host Bees IHC the following day.

Further down the division in the race for the play-offs, Telford Tigers can move a step closer to mathematically securing their top-eight spot when they visit Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday before hosting Solway Sharks on Sunday.

Below them, Bees IHC and Raiders IHC will lock horns on Friday as they go in search of two precious competition points. Both teams will play three times over the coming days, with Raiders IHC ending their weekend with back-to-back home games against bottom-of-the-table Bristol Pitbulls and the Phantoms.

Solway are currently the side doing the chasing down, in their pursuit of a play-off berth. They start their weekend at home to the eighth-placed Bees in a game of real magnitude, before travelling to Telford the following day.

Below the NIHL National Division, it is also the penultimate weekend of the regular league season for teams in the North 1/2 and South 1/2 as teams continue their push for the play-offs.

League titles have been decided in the South 1 and North 2, but things are still up in the air in the other two divisions and lots can still change in the fight for play-off positions.

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 15th Mar 7:00pm Bees IHC vs Raiders IHC L
Fri 15th Mar 7:00pm Bristol Pitbulls vs Hull Seahawks L
Fri 15th Mar 7:30pm Sheffield Steeldogs vs Swindon Wildcats L
Sat 16th Mar 7:00pm Milton Keynes Lightning vs Leeds Knights L
Sat 16th Mar 7:00pm Peterborough Phantoms vs Telford Tigers L
Sat 16th Mar 5:15pm Raiders IHC vs Bristol Pitbulls L
Sat 16th Mar 7:00pm Solway Sharks vs Bees IHC L
Sat 16th Mar 6:30pm Swindon Wildcats vs Sheffield Steeldogs L
Sun 17th Mar 5:30pm Hull Seahawks vs Swindon Wildcats L
Sun 17th Mar 5:15pm Leeds Knights vs Bees IHC L
Sun 17th Mar 5:15pm Raiders IHC vs Peterborough Phantoms L
Sun 17th Mar 4:30pm Sheffield Steeldogs vs Milton Keynes Lightning L
Sun 17th Mar 6:00pm Telford Tigers vs Solway Sharks L

NIHL North 1 (Moralee) –

Sat 16th Mar 5:30pm Hull Jets vs Billingham Stars L
Sat 16th Mar 4:40pm Sheffield Scimitars vs Blackburn Hawks L
Sun 17th Mar 5:30pm Billingham Stars vs Solihull Barons L
Sun 17th Mar 6:00pm Blackburn Hawks vs Nottingham Lions L
Sun 17th Mar 5:00pm Whitley Warriors vs Hull Jets L
Sun 17th Mar 7:30pm Widnes Wild vs Deeside Dragons L

NIHL South 1 (Britton) –

Sat 16th Mar 6:30pm Slough Jets vs Oxford City Stars BC
Sun 17th Mar 6:00pm Chelmsford Chieftains vs Streatham Redhawks BC
Sun 17th Mar 6:45pm Milton Keynes Thunder vs Invicta Dynamos L
Sun 17th Mar 6:15pm Oxford City Stars vs Romford Buccaneers L

NIHL North 2 (Laidler) –

Sat 16th Mar 5:45pm Altrincham Aces vs Nottingham Lions NIHL 2 L
Sat 16th Mar 12:30pm Kingston Sharks vs Billingham Buccaneers L
Sat 16th Mar 7:40pm Sheffield Titans vs Coventry NIHL Blaze L
Sun 17th Mar 5:30pm Bradford Bulldogs vs Telford Tigers NIHL 2 L
Sun 17th Mar 7:20pm Nottingham Lions NIHL 2 vs Kingston Sharks L
Sun 17th Mar 1:00pm Sutton Sting vs Altrincham Aces L

NIHL South 2 (Wilkinson) –

Sat 16th Mar 5:30pm Chelmsford Warriors vs Basingstoke Buffalo L
Sat 16th Mar 5:30pm Guildford Phoenix vs Lee Valley Lions L
Sat 16th Mar 5:45pm Invicta Mustangs vs Cardiff Fire L
Sat 16th Mar 5:00pm Solent Junior Devils vs Peterborough Phantoms NIHL 2 L

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