Leeds Knights in recovery mode ahead of National Cup final showdown
THE next three days or so will all be about rest and recovery for Leeds Knights. Then they will go again in what amounts to their biggest game of the season so far.
A punishing - actually, ridiculous - schedule of six games in nine days finally came to an end for the Knights on Saturday, a 5-3 defeat at Solway Sharks producing their fourth straight league loss.
It is the worst run of regular season form under head coach Ryan Aldridge but, in the circumstances, one that is totally understandable.
On Friday night, in a 4-1 home loss to Hull Seahawks, another man went down injured, this time import defenceman Sam Dunn, dashing from the ice in some distress and not returning.
Naturally, he was missing from the line-up in Dumfries 24 hours later, when another player saw his night end early in the first period.
It can only be hoped that captain Kieran Brown recovers from whatever kept him on the sidelines for the rest of the night in Solway in time for Thursday’s first leg of the NIHL National Cup Final at Elland Road against Sheffield Steeldogs.
The showdown is the first of another three games in four days for the Knights, a trip to Basingstoke Bison on Saturday followed by a clash against the same opponents in Leeds the following night. It brings the curtain down on a run of nine games in 17 days.
After the defeat, Aldridge admitted the schedule had taken its toll on his players.
“At the moment, it’s just about us trying to get through it,” Aldridge told Sharks TV. “We’re playing nine games in 17 days and to start that off we had three games back-to-back.
“Guys work full-time and some of the mistakes we’re making in the last three games are just through tiredness.
"They are mentally drained, they are physically drained - whatever you can, you ask of them, they just keep going - but it is obviously a tough time right now.”
The Knights were up against it after just 34 seconds in Solway when former Knights forward Jordan Buesa put the hosts ahead.
Owen Sobchak levelled on the powerplay after four minutes only for the hosts to restore their lead through Michael Hodge at 8.35.
Liam Peyton equalised just over two minutes later but the second period was less than two minutes old when Hodge made it 3-2.
Jonas Bennett - back after missing eight games through injury - marked his return by levelling for the Knights just after the halfway mark.
There was little to choose between the two teams in the third until Lewis Young put the Sharks ahead for a fourth time in the 52nd minute, Liam Stenton adding an empty-net strike with 10 seconds left.