CAPTAIN Kieran Brown inspired his Leeds Knights team to a swift bounce back victory when he scored twice in a hard-fought win at Basingstoke Bison.
The Bison had won 3-2 in overtime in Leeds seven days earlier but the Knights recovered from going 1-0 down to a Sota Isogai strike on 74 seconds to run out deserved 5-3 winners in Hampshire.
It was also the ideal way to respond to the previous night’s 4-1 defeat at reigning NIHL National champions, Swindon Wildcats - a game they initially led through Danny Harrison’s 24th-minute strike.
It required a moment of brilliance from Brown to draw the Knights level when he intercepted a pass on the edge of the Bison zone before showing quick hands to turn defenceman Reece Cochrane inside out before lifting the puck high into Ethan James’ net at 15.40.
It was the second period where the game was effectively won, the Knights going ahead when Sam Dunn finished off a precision pass from Matt Bissonnette at the back past in the 25th minute.
Brown added a second from a net-front scramble five minutes later before a shot through traffic from Zach Sullivan just over two minutes later made it 4-1.
Cochrane’s effort flew past the unsighted Sam Gospel before the end of the second period and when Adam Rosbottom made it a one-goal game early in the third, a few nerves probably crept on to the Knights’ bench.
But they were settled somewhat at 53.55 when Cullen McLean pounced on a rebound off James’ pads from Bissonnette’s initial wraparound shot to fire home and restore the two-goal advantage, one the Knights preserved to snap a three-game losing streak and register only their third win of the season from their first 10 games.
Elsewhere, Hull Seahawks came away with nothing from the first instalment of their top-two battle with leaders Milton Keynes Lightning.
In an eagerly-anticipated clash, the Lighting took the lead at 11,31 through former Leeds forward, Carter Hamill.
Import forward Cody Monds levelled for the Seahawks on the power play at 34.17 and there was all to play for when the two sides came back out for the third.
The next goal would always likely prove crucial and so it was when Jarred White beat Aleksanteri Heiskanen to restore the Lightning lead at 47.45.
As the Seahawks chased the game, Heiskanen was pulled from his goal, with the Lightning taking advantage 90 seconds later when Danny Weight made it 3-1 with a few seconds remaining.
It meant Pete Russell’s team stretched their lead at the top of the league standings to three points, while also leapfrogging Hull to become the top team in the National Cup group rankings.
That could be change within 24 hours, however, should Hull win the rematch in East Yorkshire on Sunday afternoon (face-off 5.30pm).
Sheffield Steeldogs’ up-and-down start to the campaign continued when they were edged out 2-1 in overtime by Romford Raiders, who moved level with Hull in the standings as a result.
Dante Salituro gave Slava Koulikov’s team an eighth-minute lead with a power play strike - his 10th goal of the season - but it was quickly cancelled out by Tjay Anderson’s reply for the Raiders within 85 seconds.
Romford dominated in terms of chances for the remainder but neither side could find a way through - netminders Shane Owen and Cole Ceci standing tall.
Overtime was just over three minutes old when the crucial moment came, Anderson doubling his tally and securing the extra point for the Raiders.
The two meet again on Sunday in Romford (face-off 5.15pm).