ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Burn 'Rays, 4-3

Published on January 10, 2015 under ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


DULUTH, Ga. - The Gladiators (11-19-1-1) scored first and kept on punching, only adding to their total across all three periods as they took the hard fought victory against the South Carolina Stingrays (17-12-1-4), 4-3. Joe Stejskal tallied a goal and two assists while fellow alternate captain Casey Pierro-Zabotel notched a goal and assist.

Special teams was the name of the game on the evening, as Gwinnett struck for two power play goals, scored their first shorthanded goal of the year, and had a perfect 4-for-4 penalty kill. South Carolina entered the match with the best road penalty kill in the league - four PPG allowed in 44 times shorthanded. After the game, Gwinnett has now scored four of those six PPG allowed. Gwinnett has also killed their last 12 penalties, and hasn't allowed a PPG since December 30th, 2014.

The Gladiators got the arena rocking early in the first period, stinging their division rivals with their first shorthanded goal of the season at 6:05. Casey Pierro-Zabotel held the puck in the far corner, drawing the attention of Stingrays' goalie, Jeff Jakaitis and allowing Sean Berkstresser to sneak in the back door. Pierro-Zabotel sent a pass directly in front of the net to a wide-open Berkstresser, who buried the puck underneath the netminder to give the Gladiators the lead and notch his seventh of the season.

Gwinnett doubled up the score early on in the second. On the power play, James Melindy composed the puck on the far left flank, and slid it along the offensive blue line, where Joe Stejskal met the puck halfway. Stejskal immediately sent a bullet in towards net, with Will MacDonald tipping it in from the crowd out in front.

Halfway through the second period the Stingrays finally struck back with Caleb Herbert's eighth goal of the season at 10:56. However, the Gladiators quickly brought the difference back up to two, scoring their second power play goal of the period. Stejskal squared up a shot from the top of the slot off the pass from Marshall Everson and this time the goal was all his at 13:27.

The Stingrays struck first in the third period, at 13:45. After multiple stops by Brown from a flurry of Stingray shots, it was Herbert one more time who was able to find net from between the hash-marks.

Less than a minute later, the Gladiators stole back the momentum in a flashy way. Pierro-Zabotel led a quick rush into the offensive zone, similar to the Gladiators' first goal. After holding onto the puck in the far corner, he shot the puck in on net. Jakaitis popped the puck into the air, and Garry Nunn made an impressive behind-the-head, blind bat at the puck, and popped it by Jakaitis to make it 4-2.

The "˜Rays would break the two-goal difference for the third time in the game shortly thereafter. Braden Pimm entered the offense zone shorthanded and on a 1-on-2 against him, and crushed a shot off the crossbar and in, unassisted, for his eleventh of the season at 17:41.

The third period was penalty-laden, with both teams sharing eight in the final twenty minutes. There were sixteen penalties overall, in an unsurprisingly physical matchup between the two battling rivals.

Adam Brown stopped 34 of the Stingrays' 37 shots, while Jeff Jakaitis stopped 23 out of the Gladiators' 27 shots sent towards the net.

The Gladiators will finish their season-high seven game homestand tomorrow afternoon, January 11th, when they take on the Fort Wayne Komets for the first time this season at 2:05 p.m. It is once again Kroger Family Sunday tomorrow. The deal includes four premium level tickets, one $5 Gladiators Merchandise Coupon, and a voucher for a Kroger Family Meal redeemable at any Atlanta area Kroger!

For tickets and schedule information, visit the official team website at www.gwinnettgladiators.com or call the main office line at 770-497-5100.

The Gladiators are members of the ECHL, the nation's premier "AA" hockey league, and are affiliated with the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL. All home games are played at the 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth - where parking is always free.

As Atlanta's "One and Only" professional hockey team, the Gladiators have established an extraordinary winning tradition and unrivaled commitment to excellence, maintaining a distinctive reputation for affordable and family-friendly sports entertainment. The Gladiators are consistently ranked as one of the top "Things To Do" in the Atlanta area and across the North Georgia region.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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