Bees beaten by play-off champions Leeds Knights after putting a muzzle on Bristol Pitbulls

Josh Smith celebrates. Blueline Photography

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The TSI World Bees look like potential play-off contenders this season after seeing off the Bristol Pitbulls on Saturday with relative ease and running last season‘s league and play off champions Leeds Knights close on home ice on Sunday.

杜米尼克Gabaj 7 - 2的团队钳制斗犬win on Saturday, however, they couldn’t quite match that offensive performance in an intriguing and closely fought 3-2 defeat to the Knights at the Slough Ice Arena.

The game was firmly in the balance - with both teams pressing for a winner in what was a fine display of solid defensive hockey from both teams - however, Matt Barron grabbed the game’s decisive goal when he fired home with a little over 10 minutes remaining in the third period. The Bees came on strong in the final stages, but they were fended off by a Knights side that look to have defensive and offensive tools needed to challenge for honours again.

The Bees came into the weekend off the back of a four-point opening weekend having edged out the Peterborough Phantoms 7-5 and the Telford Tigers 7-6. Seven was clearly the magic number as they notched up another impressive haul in Bristol but the Knights would provide tougher opposition on the Sunday and so it proved.

A relatively even opening was punctuated when the Knights took the lead through Oli Endicott in the third minute, the player showing great composure to slot the ball past Brython Preece. However, the Bees buzzed back into the match with a couple of goals of their own. First, Josh Smith netted on 8.42 with Gabaj and Brendan Baird providing the assists. Preece was called into action and made a series of fine saves to keep the scores level before Gabaj scored a power play goal in the 27th minute. The hosts will be disappointed the Knights hit back almost immediately when they were shorthanded, captain Kieran Brown steering the puck home in the 29th minute.

The contest then ebbed and flowed but remained in the balance until the 49th minute when the Knights slotted home through Barron, and they then withstood an angry late swarm from the Bees.

The Bees play a couple of away games at the Hull Seahawks on Sunday (October 8) and Raiders IHC the following Friday (October 13) before returning to the Slough Ice Arena on Sunday, October 15 for the visit of the Solway Sharks.