Nottingham Panthers fell to Cardiff in the second leg of the Challenge Cup final, but lifted the silverware with an aggregate win.
Nottingham crowned Challenge Cup winners
Nottingham Panthers fell to a 5-4 defeat against Cardiff Devils in the second leg of the Challenge Cup final, but lifted the silverware with a single goal win on aggregate.
Panthers were made to work hard against the visiting Welsh side, taking the lead just once in the game, midway through the second session.
Devils fired home the match winner with just over four minutes remaining, but Nottingham held on to win 8-7 on aggregate and claim their third Cup victory since the start of the Elite league.
Cardiff opened the scoring at 3.24 with a Tylor Michel goal, before Wes Jarvis levelled the tie on aggregate for the visitors at 12.13.
The home side's player coach Corey Neilson pulled one back on a 5 on 3 powerplay at 17.14, but Max Birbraer restored Devils' two goal lead on the night at 24.24 to once again level the aggregate score.
Pressure
The hosts then went up a gear in the middle period to net three goals in four minutes, making the score 4-3 and putting them two goals ahead on aggregate.
Marty Gascon fired home the first of the three strikes at 26.22, before Marc Levers and David Clarke added one each at 28.09 and 30.28 respectively.
The visitors managed to equalise the game on the night as Max Birbraer snatched his second goal of the match at 34.08, then Mark Smith cut the aggregate advantage to just one goal in the third session as he found the net at 55.52.
Nottingham managed to hold on, however, and although Devils won on the night, it was Panthers that lifted the Cup with a single goal win on aggregate.
