ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Beat Ice Pilots, 6-3

March 4, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


Jon Awe recorded his first professional hat trick on the Gladiators adult hat night to help Gwinnett to a 6-3 win over the Pensacola Ice Pilots in front of 6,582 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Saturday night. With the win, Gwinnett improves to 38-11-7 on the season.

Awe scored his third goal of the game with just 50 seconds left in the contest to post the hat trick and round out the scoring for Gwinnett in the win. Awe scored all three goals in the win off of slap shots from the point, this one coming from the left wing circle beating Pensacola netminder David Cann over the shoulder. Brad Schell and Jeff Campbell hooked up to collect the assists on the marker.

The Ice Pilots took their only lead of the game midway through the first period off of goals by Bobby Cunninghman at the 12:08 mark and then by Adam Courchaine at the 15:27 mark. That came after Scott Mifsud posted the game's first goal on the power play for Gwinnett 9:32 into the contest.

Awe's first two tallies tied the game and then pushed the Gladiators into a 3-2 lead early in the second period. Awe ripped a slap shot past Cann from the high slot to tie the game at two for his first tally with 1:34 left in the first period. The tally came on the power play as the Gladiators were on a 5-on-3 advantage as Schell and Gajic recorded the assists.

Gwinnett took a 3-2 lead on the Ice Pilots on Awe's second tally of the game just 3:47 into the second flinging a slap shot from the right wing past Cann to the far post. Schell and Dwyer posted the assists on the Gladiators go ahead goal.

Campbell posted what proved to be the game winner, picking up a loose puck in the slot and flipping the puck past Cann at the 12:52 mark of the second period. Derek Nesbitt missed a bad angle chance along the goal line but picked up an assist rolling the puck through the slot. Schell posted his third assist of the game on the goal.

Matt York gave the Gladiators a 5-2 lead on the Ice Pilots late in the second period, taking a feed out of the corner from Milan Gajic and fired it past Cann to the far post. Josh Bennett picked up his 4th assist of the season on the goal with 30 seconds left in third period.

Pensacola got back within two goals on on a tally by Nick Lindberg just 11 seconds after York's goal. Stuart Kerr and Chris Heid posted the assists on the tally before Awe rounded out the scoring in the third period.

Brad Schell also tied a team record for most assists in a game collecting 4 helpers in the contest for the Gladiators while Milan Gajic finished with two assists for the Gladiators. Adam Berkhoel finished with 20 saves for the Gladiators in the win.

The Gwinnett Gladiators continue the 2005-06 ECHL season at the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Sunday, March 5th as they host the Pensacola Ice Pilots at 4:05 p.m. The Gladiators offer several ticket packages for different needs as well as group outings, suites and birthday parties. For more information call 770-497-5100 or log on to gwinnettgladiators.com.

The Gladiators play all 36 home games at the Arena at Gwinnett Center located on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth and are the AA affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers.

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ECHL Stories from March 4, 2006


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