Swindon Wildcats v Leeds Knights: Ryan Aldridge targets repeat show in semi-final opener
IF Ryan Aldridge could bottle the performance his Leeds Knights team produced at Swindon Wildcats back in November and take it on the road with him for every away game, he undoubtedly would.
The 4-1 win at the Link Centre in Wiltshire was something of a statement win by the Knights, inflicting what is still Swindon’s solitary reverse on home ice during the 2025-26 NIHL National regular season campaign.
Today sees the Knights return to the venue for the first leg of the NIHL National Cup tie, the conclusion to the encounter being staged at Elland Road on Friday, January 9.
The gap between the two teams in the league may have grown since Leeds’ road win in Swindon - leaders the Wildcats currently sit eight points clear of the third-placed Knights as opposed to three - but over the next week, points are irrelevant.
For the Knights, there is a determination to maintain an interest in holding on to a trophy they only won for the first time at the fourth attempt last season.
Given the current league standings, some may feel the Cup may represent their most realistic chance of silverware this season.
But head coach Aldridge is not one for giving up anything lightly, as proved by his team’s ability to win the league title three years running.
He would love to emulate that feat in the Cup and believes if his team can come close to repeating their performance from six weeks ago in Swindon, they will put themselves in a decent position come the second leg on home ice in six days’ time.
“We’ve got to go in there with the same mindset that we had last time, essentially,” said Aldridge. “Especially with it being the first game and being in their building, we’ve just got to go and play a very mature hockey game.
“Obviously we’d like to come out of there with the win but we just want to play a smart road game and see what we can get out of it.”
As their current league position suggests, the Wildcats are the epitome of consistency, having lost just four games in regulation this season, By comparison, Leeds have lost nine games inside 60 minutes.
“They are definitely the form team this season,” added Aldridge. “I watched their game on New Year‘s Day (against Basingstoke) and they are deep - just deep throughout their whole line-up.
“They are a big, strong, physical team and they have got lots of bodies. There are not too many teams that match up against them, certainly in terms of depth.”
While return dates for long-term absentees Mac Howlett (illness) and Jordan Griffin (injury) remain unclear, Aldridge heads to Swindon missing three other players.
Defenceman Jonas Bennett and forwards Edgars Vengis and Daragh Spawforth are all away on international duty at the Division 2A World Championships with Great Britain and won’t be available for the Knights until the January 17 trip to Bristol Pitbulls.
“It’s a massive loss for us,” explained Aldridge. “Edgars and Jonas have had such a positive impact - all the young boys have, it’s just that those two have had more of a chance and they have run with it.
“Eddie just brings you constant energy and I know I would play him against any line in the league and be confident about that, the same with Jonas.
“It’s totally deserved that all three of them have been called up - they are very good hockey players and very good people and I can’t say enough good things about them.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how they get on out there this week.”