TREBLE TOP: Daragh Spawforth scored a hat-trick in LK2's 10-2 win over Sheffield.placeholder image
TREBLE TOP: Daragh Spawforth scored a hat-trick in LK2's 10-2 win over Sheffield.
HAT-TRICKS from Daragh Spawforth and Kurts Baumanis led Leeds Knights 2 to derby victory against Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Scimitars at Elland Road Ice Arena.
The two were set to go at each other again at Ice Sheffield on Sunday evening but, it was the Knights who dominated proceedings on home ice.
There was little to choose between the two teams after 20 minutes, Marcus Thacker’s ninth-minute strike cancelling out Jake Wigginton’s opener for the hosts at 3.03.
It was in the second period that the game was effectively decided, the hosts posting five unanswered goals.
It was Latvian-born Baumanis who restored the Knights’ lead at 21.03 before Spawforth got his first five minutes later.
Helgi Bjarnesson made it 4-1 at 28.52 before Wakefield-born Spawforth grabbed his second with a clinical finish just under three minutes later. He sealed his hat-trick with just 30 seconds of the period remaining with a shorthanded strike.
Baumanis doubled his tally just 49 seconds into the third, then sealed his hat-trick with short-handed strike at 42.34.
A third goal came just 36 seconds later when Fritz Heinzle fired one into Nicholas Winters’ top left-hand corner.
Owen Dell joined the party when he made it 10-1 at 48.23, the only regret being to allow the Scimitars a second goal when Jacob Scott beat Dan Norton.
In NIHL National, Leeds Knights warmed up for Sunday night’s derby duel on home ice against Sheffield Steeldogs with a 3-2 win at Solway Sharks on Friday night.
The visitors put themselves in a strong position by taking a 3-0 lead through goals from Liam Peyton, Oli Endicott – both on the power play – and Innes Gallacher inside 26 minutes.
The hosts quickly reduced the deficit through Kell Beattie at 26.10 and although they made it a one-goal game with a goal from former Knights’ centre Joey Coulter at 43.33, there was no further scoring.
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