Gladiators Clip Sea Wolves, 3-2
February 18, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release
Biloxi, MS - The Gwinnett Gladiators posted a 3-2 win over the Mississippi Sea Wolves on Wednesday night at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Jeff Mason posted the game winner for Gwinnett with less than five minutes left in the third period to help Gwinnett to the win. The Gladiators improve to 22-22-5 on the season with the victory.
The Gladiators took a 1-0 lead on Dirk Southern's 7th goal of the season just 2:14 into the first period. Southern took a rink wide pass from Tom Zanoski before ripping a slapshot past Mississippi netminder Ryan Munce for the marker.
Jordan Fox pushed the Gladiators lead to 2-0 in the second period as the teams skated 4-on-4. Fox took a pass from Southern in the slot and flicked the puck past Munce at 6:15 of the second period for the tally. The goal was Fox's 20th marker of the season for Gwinnett.
Mississippi tied the game at two in the third period with a pair of power play goals. Mississippi cut the Gladiators lead to one at 11:02 of the third period as Mathieu Melanson ripped a slapshot just inside the Gwinnett blue line past Gladiators netmidner Josh Johnson for the tally. Melanson's marker came unassisted for the Sea Wolves.
Jeff Kyrzakos tied the game at 2-2 with the Sea Wolves second power play goal of the game. Parked on the off wing, Kyrzakos took a rink wide pass and beat Johnson for the goal. Melanson and Ryan Cruthers had the assist on the goal at 13:53 of the third period.
Gwinnett battled back with a power play goal of their own just a little over a minute and a half later. Parked on the back door, Mason took a rink wide pass from Southern and jammed the puck past Munce for the game winning goal. Jordan Fox also had an assist on the power play goal at 15:29 of the third period.
Josh Johnson made 24 saves in his second consecutive win for the Gladiators in his third straight start. With the win, Johnson improves to 12-9-1 on the season.
Gwinnett went 1-for-5 on the power play in the win while Mississippi went 2-for-8 on the man advantage.
The Gladiators continue the 2008-09 season on the road as they battle the Mississippi Sea Wolves at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 8:05 p.m.
Began in 1988-89 with five teams playing in four states, the Premier 'AA' Hockey League has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 21 teams in 16 states and British Columbia playing 864 games from Oct. 17, 2008 to Apr. 4, 2009. Eighteen of the 23 teams have played at least five years in their current city.
The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,174 per game last season, marking the fourth year in row and the 16th time in the last 18 years that the league has averaged over 4,000 fans. The league has drawn over four million fans each of the last five years and 11 times in the past 12 seasons.
The Gwinnett Gladiators open their sixth season as a proud member of the ECHL in October of 2008 - season ticket packages are on sale now. In addition, the Gladiators offer several unique multi-game ticket packages as well as discounted group rates, suite rentals, and birthday parties. For more information call 770-497-5100 or log on to gwinnettgladiators.com.
The Gladiators are the AA affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers and play all home games at the spectacular 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, where parking is always free.
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