The Waldeck Peterborough Phantoms suffered a narrow Sunday night defeat at the hands of the Milton Keynes Lightning.
Lukas Sladkovsky continued his fine form, though, netting his second hat-trick in as many home games.
Phantoms took an early lead with a shorthanded goal, when Duncan Speirs won the puck back in the offensive zone and laid it across to Luke Ferrara to score.
But MKL hit back with 9:13 played as Rory Herrman found Dillon Lawrence in space in the centre of the zone and he ripped his effort beyond Jordan Marr.
MKL took a lead into the first intermission when Cam Hamill dispossessed Jarvis Hunt and found the bottom corner on the breakaway.
Phantoms did go close to the leveller before the period ended, though, with Sladkovsky and Ralfs Circenis unlucky not to tie the game.
MKL extended their lead in the opening minutes of the second as Lawrence grabbed his second of the game from close range amidst a goalmouth scramble.
Their lead was cut back to one shortly after as Brad Bowering found Sladkovsky in the right circle and he notched a Phantoms powerplay goal with a one timer.
Tim Wallace made it 4-2 to MKL, before Liam Stewart scored a shorthanded breakaway to make it five for the visitors.
But Phantoms finished the period strongly and got back to within two through Sladkovsky, who took a Jasper Foster pass to blast one into the bottom corner.
And Sladkovsky then grabbed his second successive home hat-trick, going backhand five hole on the breakaway for a delayed penalty goal.
The third period saw the visitors shut up shop as the game headed into the latter stages as despite a couple of good opportunities for the Phantoms, MKL made the short journey home with both points after a well contested game.
FINAL SCORE: Peterborough Phantoms 4-5 Milton Keynes Lightning
Phantoms goals:
3:56 (PP 1-0 MK): #19 Luke Ferrara / #38 Duncan Speirs (SHG)
24:30 (PP 2-3 MK): #91 Lukas Sladkovsky / #23 Brad Bowering / #96 Jarvis Hunt (PPG)
34:01 (PP 3-5 MK): #91 Lukas Sladkovsky / #95 Jasper Foster / #23 Brad Bowering (EHG)
36:15 (PP 4-5 MK): #91 Lukas Sladkovsky (Hat-Trick) / #93 Ales Padelek / #23 Brad Bowering (DPG)
MKL goals:
9:13 (PP 1-1 MK): #14 Dillon Lawrence / #7 Rory Herrman / #96 Ben Solder (EHG)
17:27 (PP 1-2 MK): #77 Cam Hamill / #16 Mack Stewart (EHG)
21:22 (PP 1-3 MK): #14 Dillon Lawrence / #28 Tim Wallace / #7 Rory Herrman (PPG)
26:40 (PP 2-4 MK): #28 Tim Wallace / #14 Dillon Lawrence / #8 Liam Stewart (PPG)
29:48 (PP 2-5 MK): #8 Liam Stewart (unassisted) (SHG)
Man of the Match
Phantoms: Lukas Sladkovsky
MKL: Callum Field