ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Beat Checkers, 4-3

November 3, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gladiators overcame a two-goal deficit and used Blue Bennefield's 3rd goal of the season to knock off the Charlotte Checkers 4-3 on Friday night at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena for the Gladiators fourth consecutive win. With the win, Gwinnett improves to 5-1-0 on the season.

Dusty Jamieson posted his ECHL leading 8th goal of the season to give the Checkers a 1-0 lead with 3:44 left in the opening period. On a 4-on-3 advantage, Jamieson was left open along the left wing circle and beat Gladiators netminder Dan Turple with a snapshot to the far post off a feed from Daymen Rycroft. Mark Lee also had an assist on the goal for the Checkers.

Charlotte took a 2-0 lead just 55 seconds later as Rick Kozak beat Turple over the shoulder for the marker. Ryan Constant and Corey Potter hooked up to set up Kozak at the point to pick up the assists on the power play goal.

The Gladiators got on the board in the second period with a pair of goals early in the second period. Mike Vigilante collected an outlet pass from Brad Schell and slid behind the Charlotte defense beating Checkers netminder Alex Westlund on a breakaway. Vigilante's goal came 1:31 into the second period was his 5th of the season.

Joel Stepp collected his second goal of the season at the 5:17 mark to tie the game at two. Stepp took a pass from Chad Painchaud in the right wing face off circle and whipped a shot off the shoulder of Westlund that rolled up the netminder's shoulder and into the back of the net.

The Gladiators took a 3-2 lead on Jeff Campbell's power play goal just 7:44 into the second period. Parked in the right wing corner, Campbell cleared the puck off of Westlund's skate and into the back of the net for the marker. Jon Awe added an assist as he moved the puck down the wing to Schell to set up Campbell on the goal.

Charlotte tied the game at three with just 18 seconds left in the middle stanza. Jamieson rolled the puck past a Gladiator in the slot to a wide-open Mark Lee. Lee beat Turple from point blank range for the marker. Blake Bellefeuille also had an assist on the marker.

Gwinnett regained the only lead they would need with a power play goal early in the third period. Bennefield deflected Jamie Milam's slapshot from the point on the power play past Westlund for his 3rd goal of the season. Scott Mifsud also had an assist on the goal at 6:40 of the third period.

Turple won his third consecutive start for the Gladiators making 28 saves in the win for the Gladiators. Gwinnett finished the contest outshooting the Checkers while finishing 3-for-10 on the power play.

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ECHL Stories from November 3, 2006


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