Leeds Knights, brothers in arms and embracing the 'pressure' of potential NIHL National treble
OVER THE past two years, Leeds Knights have experienced the highs and the lows of playing in a NIHL National Play-off Final.
In 2023, there was the joy of celebrating a 5-4 win over Romford Raiders, enabling the Knights to savour a league and play-off double in their first full season under Ryan Aldridge.
A little over 12 months later, the Knights players experienced the rough end of playing in a final, losing out 4-3 to Peterborough Phantoms after a shootout.
Both experiences should help what is still a relatively young Knights team this weekend as they look to go one better than in 2023 and secure an unprecedented treble.
As ever, there is a significant hurdle to overcome first before they can even begin to think about Sunday’s final at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena and the chance to add another trophy to the league and National Cup silverware they have hoisted already this season.
Milton Keynes Lightning stand in their way in Saturday’s second semi-final (5.30pm), a team who, for some, have under-achieved in recent years given their resources, with only a National Cup to show for their efforts since the return from the pandemic.
Coming off second-best to Leeds in the regular season title race for three years running is more than enough motivation for Tim Wallace’s team going into the game, their first appearance in Coventry since losing 4-1 in the final to Sheffield Steeldogs in 2022.
Brothers Ethan and Dylan Hehir are all too aware of the high stakes at play this weekend, but believe the Knights’ ability to handle pressure situations - as has been proved on so many occasions in the past three years - will stand them in good stead.
“I don’t feel like, as a group, we ever put too much pressure on ourselves,” said centreman Ethan, the older of the two brothers by 16 months. “For example, we had that three-game weekend where we went to MK and had to win, where there was huge pressure on us, but we came through it.
“I think if we’d lost that game (Leeds won 3-1) it would probably have seen us lose the league, so it really was make or break for us.”
On the prospect of winning a treble, the 23-year-old forward says talk of such an achievement has been minimal among the players, leaving it for others to speculate about such things.
“It is a big thing but, in a way, because it’s such a young group, I don’t think they really realise the position that we’re in at the same time - it’s weird,” added the older Hehir.
“I don’t think this group really thinks about it too much. I think the older guys - like Matty Haywood, have maybe mentioned it before - saying how great a position we could be in but, as an overall team, we’ve just kind of kept going game by game.”
Given the success already enjoyed this season, over the last three seasons in fact, it should come as no surprise that the Knights are in confident mood ahead of the weekend, although for defenceman Dylan Hehir, that does not translate to over-confidence.
“Other than that first year, when it felt like we were just sort of building, I just always feel like if we play like we know we can play, we feel - as a group - that we just can’t be beat,” said Dylan.
“It’s a case of turning up, playing our game to the best of our potential and then the rest should fall into place.
“I know we’ve got a young group but we’ve been there for the last two years and we’ve got that experience, even though we are young. I believe that will be a big help.”