ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gajic Leads Gladiators past Stingrays, 5-3

April 15, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators used two goals from Milan Gajic to get past the South Carolina Stingrays 5-3 on Saturday night and take a 1-game-to-none series lead in the best-of-5 division semi-final series. Game 2 is Sunday at the Arena at Gwinnett Center at 4:05 p.m.

Gwinnett jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Milan Gajic's first goal of the post season 11:11 into the first period. Gajic took an outlet pass from Adam Courchaine and backhanded the puck past South Carolina netminder Davis Parley to the short side for the marker. Danny Eberly also posted an assist on the goal.

South Carolina tied the game at one on Ryan Finnerty's penalty shot at the 11:28 mark of the second period. Finnerty was hauled down on a foot race into the Gladiators zone to draw the penalty shot. Finnerty beat Berkhoel to the left side for the goal.

Rick Emmett got the marker back for Gwinnett 57 seconds later, ripping a one-timer past Parley off a feed from Courchaine out of the corner. Matt York also had an assist on the marker.

South Carolina came right back to tie the game at two with a shorthanded tally off the stick of Matt Reid 14:59 into the second period. Craig Olynick fed Reid behind the Gwinnett defense to set up the tally.

Gwinnett again answered quickly, this time with Gajic beating Parley from the off wing just 15 seconds after South Carolina's tally. Joel Stepp took a pass from Jon Awe at the point before sliding the puck across to Gajic to set up the goal.

Adam Courchaine scored his first goal since joining the Gladiators to give Gwinnett a two goal advantage 3:12 into the third period. A give-and-go with Steve Slaton, Courchaine re-directed Slaton's centering pass past Parley for the marker.

South Carolina kept in the game, posting their third goal at the 6:03 mark of the third period. From the slot, Anders Strome rolled the puck though the legs of Berkhoel for the marker. Darren Lynch and Trevor Johnson collected the assists on the goal.

Cam Brown iced the contest with an empty net goal with 46 seconds left in the third period for the Gladiators. Already skating with an extra skater because of a power play opportunity, South Carolina looked to equalize the contest in the waning moments of the game by pulling the netminder Parley and skating with a 6-on-4 advantage. Brown capitalized for Gwinnett with his first goal of the post season, helping clinch the win.

Gwinnett went 1-for-9 on the power play in the victory while outshooting the Stingrays 38-20 and holding South Carolina to just 9 shots through the first two perods of the game.

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