SUPERIOR team play and spirit saw Preston moved to third place in the league behind Brooklands Manchester University.
Wade Blanchfield scored first in the third minute, capitalising on a dithering defence, to slip the ball through the keeper's legs.
Leeds hit back as Simon Eccleston could only partially stop a fiercely struck penalty corner.
Soon, though, Adam Wilson sprinted down the left, finding Richard Sullivan, who set up Blanchfield for his second. Mark Fletcher finished off an exquisite penalty corner move.
Fired up by a half-time team talk Preston poured forward and Blackburn made it four with a deft flick from a Watson shot. Then Nick Sutcliff marched in to the area to crack home the fifth. Watson repeated the dose by cleverly swivelling in the D and dispatching beyond a bewildered goalkeeper to make it 6-1. Leeds registered a second with an excellent counter-attacking goal, but were soon practicing re-starts again as Blackburn scored a cute goal from the top of the D.
Fletcher compounded the student's misery with a thumping penalty corner strike.
Preston face Kingston-upon-Hull on Saturday.
Final score: Preston 8 Leeds University 2
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