Challenge Cup: Cardiff Devils 5-7 Guildford Flames
- Published
Joshua Waller now has six goals in six Challenge Cup games this season, compared to one goal in 10 Elite League matches
Ryan Tait scored a hat-trick as Guildford Flames resisted Cardiff Devils' late surge in the final game of the Challenge Cup group stages.
Peter Crinella scored an early Flames brace before Tait and Lewis Hook doubled their lead.
Ryan Barrow and Joshua Waller hit back but Ryan Hughes and Tait struck for Flames.
Cole Sanford, Riley Brandt and Marcus Crawford put the hosts within a goal, before Tait empty-netted.
The defeat - Cardiff's first against Flames in the Challenge Cup this season - means they fail to overhaul Sheffield Steelers to be second seeds for the quarter-finals.
Devils will be third seeds in the next round of the competition with the Flames seeded fifth.
Devils are back in Elite League action when they host Fife Flyers on Sunday, 26 November (18:00 GMT).