The WALDECK Peterborough Phantoms fell to the Leeds Knights in the first game of a decisive weekend in the NIHL National Playoffs.
Phantoms had the games’ first good chance when Jasper Foster found the pads of Sam Gospel in the opening seconds, before Austin Mitchell-King saw two efforts in quick succession saved by Gospel.
The Knights took the lead on 3:56 when Phantoms struggled to clear their zone and the puck fell kindly for Matt Barron out in front, who ripped his shot past Hayden Lavigne.
High quality scoring chances at either end were few and far between, with both sides looking to play a responsible game in the ongoing battle for the Final Four Weekend.
But Leeds doubled their lead on 25:08 when Bow Neely smashed a one timer past Lavigne after being found by Oli Endicott.
And after Tom Norton narrowly missed the target at the other end, the Knights made it three, when Fin Bradon got the final touch on a powerplay goal for the away side.
Bradon added his second and Leeds’ fourth with a shot into the bottom corner in the first minute of the third period to give Phantoms a mountain to climb in the final frame.
Norton and Ferrara then went close for Phantoms, but it was Ferrara who put Phantoms on the board, blasting a blue line effort in off the pipes.
But it was the Knights who had the final say as Kieran Brown applied a relatively simple finish on the back door for the visitors’ second powerplay goal of the game.
FINAL SCORE: Peterborough Phantoms 1-5 Leeds Knights
Phantoms goal:
52:16 (PP 1-4 LK): #19 Luke Ferrara / #45 Callum Buglass / #62 Janne Laakkonen (EHG)
Knights goals:
3:56 (PP 0-1 LK): #37 Matt Barron / #12 Kieran Brown / #73 Matt Bissonnette (EHG)
25:08 (PP 0-2 LK): #8 Bow Neely / #41 Oli Endicott / #19 Innes Gallacher (EHG)
35:58 (PP 0-3 LK): #33 Fin Bradon / #73 Matt Bissonnette / #12 Kieran Brown (PPG)
40:39 (PP 0-4 LK): #33 Fin Bradon / #41 Oli Endicott / #19 Innes Gallacher (EHG)
54:23 (PP 1-5 LK): #12 Kieran Brown / #33 Fin Bradon / #73 Matt Bissonnette (PPG)
Phantoms man of the match: #95 Jasper Foster
Knights man of the match: #37 Matt Barron