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Cardiff Devils kicked off their 2026-27 season with a 3-1 victory over Guildford Flames in a Challenge Cup matchup held at Vindico Arena. The contest proved competitive throughout, with the visiting Flames scoring early through former Devil Cole Sandford just three minutes into play.
The hosts responded midway through the opening period when Josh MacDonald’s deflected shot leveled the score at one goal apiece. The game remained deadlocked heading into the final twenty minutes before two third-period goals secured Cardiff’s opening-night victory. Joey Martin recorded an assist on Kohen Olischefski’s go-ahead goal, marking a historic milestone as only the fifth player in Elite League history to reach 700 career points. Nick Welsh added an insurance goal with fewer than three minutes remaining to seal the win.
Goaltender Ben Bowns earned player-of-the-match honors by stopping 45 of 46 shots. Head coach Paul Thompson expressed satisfaction with the outcome despite an uneven performance, noting the team took time to find their rhythm following a pre-game banner ceremony commemorating last season’s Play-Offs final championship.
Cardiff will continue their Challenge Cup campaign Sunday against Coventry Blaze, who suffered a significant 6-0 defeat to Sheffield Steelers in their opening Group A contest.
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Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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