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ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Beat Inferno, 6-3

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


Joel Stepp made an immediate impact with the Gladiators posting a pair of goals and collecting an assist helping Gwinnett to a 6-3 win over the Columbia Inferno on Friday night. Gwinnett improves to 37-11-7 on the season with the win. Brad Schell ripped a slap shot over the catch glove of Columbia netminder Chris Houle at the 4:21 mark of the first period to give the Gladiators a 1-0 lead over the Inferno. Steve Slaton corralled the puck in the Gladiators end and whipped it through the neutral zone to set up Schell's 21st goal of the season. Gwinnett took a 2-0 lead on Rick Emmett's second tally of the season deflecting Cam Brown's snap shot from the left wing circle past Houle just 41 seconds after Schell got the Gladiators on the board. In his first game since being assigned to the Gladiators from the Thrashers after being acquired by Atlanta from Anaheim, Stepp gave the Gladiators a 3-0 lead with less than five minutes left in the opening period. Stepp found a rebound in the slot and flipped the puck over the shoulder of Houle for the marker. Derek Nesbitt and Jeff Dwyer collected the assists on the tally. Columbia cut into the Gwinnett lead just 15 seconds later as Mike Stathopoulos corralled a deflected puck along the goal crease and pounded it past Gladiators netminder Adam Berkhoel for the tally. Derek Eastman and Brandon Nolan recorded the assists on the goal. Stepp's second tally of the night gave the Gladiators a 4-1 lead with just 1:04 left in the first period. Cam Brown clanked a slap shot off the post leaving the puck sitting on the goal line where Stepp jammed the puck home for the marker. Dwyer also posted an assist on the goal for Gwinnett. Jeff Campbell's 26th goal of the season gave the Gladiators a 5-1 lead 12:04 into the second period. Campbell picked up his own rebound in the slot and snapped a shot past Houle for the unassisted tally. Derek Eastman pulled the Inferno back within three at the 13:44 mark of the second period. The defenseman ripped a slap shot from just in side the blue line from the right wing side past Berkhoel for the tally. Craig Lazaruk and Pat Noonan posted the assists on the tally. Gwinnett took a 6-2 lead on Steve Slaton's 11th goal of the season. The puck deflected right to Slaton in left wing face off circle where the defenseman punched the puck home for the tally. Stepp posted his first assist as a Gladiator on the marker while Matt York also had a helper on the goal. Columbia posted a power play goal at the 11:49 mark of the third period off the stick of Dallas Flaman to again get within three goals. Eastman posted an assist on the tally. Columba pulled the netminer Houle with less than a minute remaining but could get no closer in the loss. Gwinnett went scoreless on the man advantage for the third time in six games while Adam Berkhoel made 29 saves in his 5th win of the season with Gwinnett.
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