Leeds Knights keen to establish winning momentum to take into NIHL National play-offs
GIVEN the lack of players at his disposal for the latter part of the NIHL National play-offs, head coach Ryan Aldridge will be hoping Leeds Knights can get off to a flying start to the group stages.
If all goes according to plan, the Knights could secure a spot at the Final Four Weekend at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena after two weekends.
It has been the case in the past two seasons for the Knights when the group format has been used by the league, doing the hard work in the first two weekends of play-offs to ensure there is little to worry about come the fifth and sixth round of games.
With five of their roster missing for the last round of group games and the Final Four Weekend because of call-ups to the GB Under-18s World Championship Division 2A campaign,, Leeds will be down to the bare minimum in terms of personnel.
After a tough campaign – one which has seen them relinquish the league and NIHL National Cup crowns - the play-offs are the Knights’ last remaining hope of silverware in 2025-26.
If they are to pull it off – and win a trophy they last did when doing the league and play-off double in 2023 – they are going to have to do it the hard way.
“I think in previous years, the last couple of games haven't really meant anything anyway,” said Aldridge, ahead of today’s trip to Bristol Pitbulls and tomorrow’s final home game of the regular season against Peterborough Phantoms (4.15pm).
“I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think it can pretty much be sorted in the first two weekends.
“To have a weekend without the young boys is obviously going to be a hard task. So, the more points we can collect before then, the better.
“We’re going to rest a couple of guys this weekend because of niggles, just to make sure they are good for the first round of play-off games.
“This weekend is about building on a good performance in Telford last Sunday and finding some momentum to take into the play-offs.”