Gladiators Down Sea Wolves 5-1 In Game 1
April 13, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Mississippi Sea Wolves News Release
DULUTH, Ga. â Gwinnett's Brad Schell scored two goals and had an assist to pace the Gladiators to a 5-1 triumph over the Mississippi Sea Wolves in Game 1 of the best-of-five American Conference Quarterfinals, taking a 1 game to 0 lead before 2,564 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.
"I don't think we can play any worse than we did tonight," Mississippi coach Bob Woods said. "It was a pretty disappointing effort. We didn't have any jump. We watched them work. When we work, we get results. When we don't work, we are a below average hockey team. I expect we will wake up for Game 2 back home at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum at 8:35 (p.m.) on Friday."
Mississippi (0-1) counted the first goal of the series on the penalty kill at 7:13 of the first period. Breaking in a 2-on-1, defenseman Mike Garrow, who was assigned by the Utah Grizzlies of the American Hockey League earlier in the day, fed a sweet pass across to defenseman Austin Miller, who beat goaltender Adam Berkhoel.
Gwinnett (1-0) knotted the score on an odd-man rush in the final minute of the first. Schell used two of his teammates as decoys and snapped a shot from the right circle between the pads of goalie Phil Sauve. The lone assist on the goal went to Mike Vigilante at the 19:27.
The Gladiators grabbed their first lead of the game at 10:15 of the second. Captain Cam Brown, who is the ECHL all-time leader with 718 regular season games played, centered for Mike Stathopoulos and his shot in close made it 2-1 for Gwinnett. Pat Dwyer also garnered a helper.
Late in the second, Gwinnett scored its second goal of the game in the final minute of a period. Joe Bourne potted a power-play goal with 27 seconds left in the stanza, set up by Schell and Stathopoulos, giving the Gladiators a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Just 20 seconds into the third, Brown moved in on a breakaway and tucked in a goal to make it 4-1. Assists went to Adam Smyth and Randy Dagenais, who was named to the All-ECHL Second Team on Defense.
The Gladiators put the game out of reach at 2:46 of the third. Schell on a turnaround shot from the slot to register his second goal of the game assisted by Stathopoulos.
Mississippi failed to capitalize on four power play chances, while Gwinnett converted on 1-of-5 opportunities. Gladiators outshot the Sea Wolves 49-27.
The Sea Wolves return home for Game 2, which is the only game of the series that will be played at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum at 8:35 p.m. CT on Friday.
Individual tickets for the 2005 Kelly Cup Playoffs are on sale at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all Ticketmaster locations by calling (228) 385-2600 and online at ticketmaster.com.
Watch the live web telecast for $6, courtesy of B2 Networks, online at msseawolves.com. With the pregame show beginning at 8:20 p.m. CT, listen live on flagship radio station WGCM-AM 1240, or online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of Teamline.
Season ticket packages for 2005-06, the 10th Anniversary Season of the Sea Wolves, are on sale now by calling (228) 275-WOLF. Ask about the "Early Bird Special."
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