NIHL round-up | 13-14 April

Seven teams are still in with a chance of reaching the Planet Ice NIHL National Division Final Four after an intriguing weekend of play-off hockey. 

Regular season champions Leeds Knights moved onto seven points from a possible eight in Group A, despite their weekend starting with an overtime defeat at Peterborough Phantoms.

The Knights ensured there would be no repeat the following day as they ran out 4-2 winners against the Phantoms in the return fixture.

The other Group A double-header between Hull Seahawks and Bees IHC saw the former win home and away to keep their Final Four chances alive.

The Seahawks sit two points adrift of the Phantoms, with the pair set to meet later this week in the final round of play-off group stage fixtures.

In Group B, all four teams remain in with a chance of qualifying after a mixed bag of results.

Telford Tigers won 6-3 at MK Lightning on Saturday and had the opportunity to move a step closer to the Finals Weekend the following day, only to lose the return game 4-1.

Having won both of their opening play-off fixtures, Swindon Wildcats hoped to secure their Final Four qualification with a double-header against seventh-seeded Raiders IHC.

However, it would be the Romford-based side that kept themselves in the mix after a regular-time 3-2 victory at the Link Centre on Saturday and shoot-out triumph on Sunday.

Three points now separate all four teams in Group B, with everything still to be decided as the play-off group stages come to an end this coming weekend.

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.

NIHL National Division –

Sat 13th Apr Bees IHC 5-11 Hull Seahawks PO
Sat 13th Apr Milton Keynes Lightning 3-6 Telford Tigers PO
Sat 13th Apr Swindon Wildcats 2-3 Raiders IHC PO
Sat 13th Apr Peterborough Phantoms 3-2 (SO) Leeds Knights PO
Sun 14th Apr Hull Seahawks 6-2 Bees IHC PO
Sun 14th Apr Leeds Knights 4-2 Peterborough Phantoms PO
Sun 14th Apr Raiders IHC 5-4 (SO) Swindon Wildcats PO
Sun 14th Apr Telford Tigers 1-4 Milton Keynes Lightning PO

Photo credit: SBD Photography

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