Two wins from three was enough to see Leeds Knights maintain their three-point lead at the top of the Planet Ice NIHL National Division standings over the weekend.
A bumper three-game weekend for the Knights started in ideal fashion as they came from behind in a topsy-turvy encounter to seal a 5-4 overtime win at Raiders IHC on Friday.
They were beaten 1-0 by Swindon Wildcats at the Link Centre the following day, before ensuring their weekend would end on a positive note by thrashing Telford Tigers 6-0 on home ice.
MK Lightning kept pace with the leaders thanks to an emphatic four-point weekend.
Lightning were 10-3 winners at Bristol Pitbulls on Saturday then backed it up with a 7-2 triumph over third-placed Swindon Wildcats the following day, in a game predicted to be one of the highlights of the weekend.
Sunday’s win saw Lightning move six points ahead of the Wildcats, with Hull Seahawks a further seven points back in fourth.
A 6-3 win at home to Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Steeldogs saw the Seahawks record their 10th straight win, but that fine recent run would come to an end the following day as Raiders IHC ran out impressive 8-2 winners against in-form opposition.
Elsewhere, Peterborough Phantoms were on the right side of two close match-ups, defeating Telford 6-5 in overtime on Saturday before edging Bees IHC 3-2 the next day.
Those two results mean the Phantoms are now six points ahead of sixth-placed Telford, who lost ground after enduring successive defeats.
Solway Sharks were only in action once over the weekend, but they went home empty-handed from their trip to Bees IHC, who won 6-4 on home ice on Saturday.
Finally, Sheffield Steeldogs were 6-3 winners at home to fellow strugglers Bristol Pitbulls, who are now nine points adrift at the foot of the NIHL National Division standings.
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 9th Feb Raiders IHC 4-5 (OT) Leeds Knights L
Sat 10th Feb Bees IHC 6-4 Solway Sharks L
Sat 10th Feb Bristol Pitbulls 3-10 Milton Keynes Lightning L
Sat 10th Feb Hull Seahawks 6-3 Sheffield Steeldogs L
Sat 10th Feb Swindon Wildcats 1-0 Leeds Knights L
Sat 10th Feb Telford Tigers 5-6 (OT) Peterborough Phantoms L
Sun 11th Feb Leeds Knights 6-0 Telford Tigers L
Sun 11th Feb Milton Keynes Lightning 7-2 Swindon Wildcats L
Sun 11th Feb Peterborough Phantoms 3-2 Bees IHC L
Sun 11th Feb Raiders IHC 8-2 Hull Seahawks L
Sun 11th Feb Sheffield Steeldogs 6-3 Bristol Pitbulls L
Sat 10th Feb Sheffield Scimitars 2-10 Whitley Warriors L
Sun 11th Feb Deeside Dragons 2-5 Billingham Stars L
Sun 11th Feb Nottingham Lions 3-4 Blackburn Hawks L
Sun 11th Feb Solihull Barons 4-1 Whitley Warriors L
Sun 11th Feb Widnes Wild 7-6 (OT) Sheffield Scimitars L
Sat 10th Feb Chelmsford Chieftains 8-2 Invicta Dynamos BC
Sat 10th Feb Milton Keynes Thunder 0-4 Oxford City Stars L
Sat 10th Feb Romford Buccaneers 3-2 Solent Devils L
Sat 10th Feb Streatham Redhawks 2-3 (OT) Slough Jets L
Sun 11th Feb Invicta Dynamos 2-6 Streatham Redhawks BC
Sun 11th Feb Oxford City Stars 3-7 Chelmsford Chieftains BC
Sun 11th Feb Slough Jets 6-5 (OT) Romford Buccaneers L
Sat 10th Feb Altrincham Aces 8-7 (OT) Bradford Bulldogs L
Sat 10th Feb Coventry NIHL Blaze 5-1 Kingston Sharks L
Sat 10th Feb Sheffield Titans 2-6 Telford Tigers NIHL 2 L
Sun 11th Feb Billingham Buccaneers 7-0 Altrincham Aces L
Sun 11th Feb Kingston Sharks 10-4 Nottingham Lions NIHL 2 L
Sun 11th Feb Sutton Sting 6-3 Sheffield Titans L
Sun 11th Feb Telford Tigers NIHL 2 6-0 Coventry NIHL Blaze L
Sat 10th Feb Basingstoke Buffalo 15-1 Lee Valley Lions L
Sat 10th Feb Invicta Mustangs 5-4 (SO) Solent Junior Devils L
Sat 10th Feb Oxford Rising Stars 3-8 Peterborough Phantoms NIHL 2 L
Sun 11th Feb Bristol Pitbulls NIHL 2 6-2 Chelmsford Warriors L
Sun 11th Feb Streatham Black Hawks 2-13 Guildford Phoenix L
Photo credit: Paul Foster
To send us your latest club news, please click here!