Silverware for Peterborough Phantoms after a dramatic night in Leeds

Phantoms had done the hard work against the Knights – the best team in the league – with a remarkable 6-0 win in the first leg at Planet Ice the week before.

But the loss of star metminder Jordan Marr to injury was a concern ahead of the return leg against free-scoring hosts.

But Calum Hepburn was signed under ice hockey’s ‘netminder dispensation’ rules from Solway Sharks and turned in a man-of-the-match performance.

There were still plenty of nervy moments for the city side and Leeds reduced the aggregate deficit to a single goal in the final minute before Austin Mitchell-King confirmed the cup would be returning to Peterborough with a shot into an empty net. It finished 6-2 to Leeds on the night, but 8-6 to Phantoms on aggregate.

Hepburn excelled during the expected strong start by Leeds before the home team broke through in the 11th minute with a Cole Shudra strike,

And the Phantoms’ alarm bells started to ring when Jake Witkowski and Adam Barnes made it 3-0 with only 26.25 played.

In-form Lukas Sladkovsky eased concens with a terrific strike for 3-1 in the 34th minute, but within 50 seconds Shudra was on target again and Phantoms were 4-1 down, but still three goals to the good, at the end of the second period.

But Phantoms upped their defensive effort and even when Leeds did find another goal from Mat Haywood eight minutes from time Scott Robson was adamant he’d stopped the puck entering the net.

Leeds huffed and puffed without creating much. They predictably threw caution to the wind, but Kieran Brown’s goal 24 seconds from time was followed by that Mitchell-King goal and the celebrations could begin.