Coventry Blaze 6-5 Hull Stingrays (CC)
A five goal, ten minute second period offensive blitz was not enough to help the Hull Stingrays to their second victory of the 12/13 Challenge Cup campaign as they went down 6-5 to the Coventry Blaze after a sudden death penalty shootout.
Gerome Giudice gave the home side the perfect start with a double after 12.35 and they carried that lead into the second period.
The Rays offensive onslaught - the likes of which has rarely been seen - then began with Kurtis Dulle (PP), Jereme Tendler (SH), Dominic Osman and Jason Silverthorn netting in just 3 minutes and 37 seconds putting the visitors comfortably in control at 4-2 before Janis Ozolins (PP) added a fifth minutes later.
Perhaps crucially, Giudice then completed his hat-trick just 42 seconds later to close the second period out at 5-3 taking the edge off the Rays lead.
Two minor penalties from Osman (holding) and Tendler (delay of game) as well as a too many men call then cost the Rays and allowed the Blaze to level just 3.40 into the final stanza - Brad Leeb and Mike Schutte adding Coventry's second and third powerplay goals of the night.
Those early third period goals turned out to be crucial as the game progressed into overtime, penalty shots and then sudden death penalty shots at 5-5 before Brad Leeb scored the decisive shot for home side - who snatch the extra Challenge Cup point.
The Rays take a point from their high scoring Challenge Cup adventure - giving them three points from four fixtures - and they then return to East Yorkshire to face Gardiner Conference rivals the Braehead Clan in the Elite League tomorrow night.
