ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Dump Devils 5-4 in Shootout

Published on March 7, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


Two goals from Jordan Fox and two short-handed goals helped to lift the Gwinnett Gladiators to a 5-4 shootout victory over the Trenton Devils in front of 8,072 fans at the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Saturday night. It was the first and only time this season the two teams will face each other. The visiting Devils tallied a goal first at two minutes into the contest when Kevin Cormier poked the puck in past Gwinnett goaltender Jeff Johnson's left skate. Matt Radoslovich and Dan Eves notched a helper on the goal.

The Gladiators capitalized on the man advantage just five minutes later when Fox scored his team-leading 23rd goal of the season. Pat Bateman and J-C Sawyer were on hand to assist on the Fox goal. Just one minute and 46 seconds later, Scott Marchesi notched a short-handed goal to give the Gladiators their first lead of the game.

It looked as if Gwinnett had a chance to up their lead to three on a one-timer from the blue line by captain Jeff Mason, but the goal was promptly waved off due to goalie interference. However, the Gladiators capitalized again on the penalty kill with an unassisted second goal from Fox to gain the two-goal lead at the 12:36 mark of the first period.

With just one second left to go in the first, Brad Snetsinger put the Devils on the board on the power play with assists from goalie Dave Caruso and defenseman Ryan Gunderson.

Just 24 seconds into the middle stanza, Tomas Pospisil notched his second goal in as many nights to give the Gladiators the 4-2 lead. Adam Berti tallied an assist and Fox his 31st assist of the season on the goal. Fox is just three assists shy of tying his career-best of 34 from the 2007-08 season with the IHL's Flint Generals.

Jeff Prough brought the Devils within one once again in the second period when he pushed the puck in past Johnson who was lying down in the crease. It appeared Johnson had stopped the puck, but as Prough stuck with it, it trickled in beyond Johnson's glove. Snetsinger and David Leaderer each tallied a helper on the goal.

In the final stanza, the Devils evened the score at 5:29 when Jim Henkel notched his 15th goal of the season on the power play. Johnson and Caruso made 19 and 8 saves respectively to even out the rest of the period and take the contest into overtime.

Throughout five minutes of overtime, both goaltenders held the opposition at bay to head into a shootout. Finally in the shootout, Fox, Mason, and Tom Zanoski all put the puck away for the Gladiators to take home the win.

The Gladiators face the Charlotte Checkers on the road Tuesday, March 10th at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina at 7:00 p.m. Catch all the play by play action in Tuesday's game on WDUN, News Talk 550.

Began in 1988-89 with five teams playing in four states, the Premier 'AA' Hockey League has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 21 teams in 16 states and British Columbia playing 864 games from Oct. 17, 2008 to Apr. 4, 2009. Eighteen of the 23 teams have played at least five years in their current city.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,174 per game last season, marking the fourth year in row and the 16th time in the last 18 years that the league has averaged over 4,000 fans. The league has drawn over four million fans each of the last five years and 11 times in the past 12 seasons.

The Gwinnett Gladiators open their sixth season as a proud member of the ECHL in October of 2008 - season ticket packages are on sale now. In addition, the Gladiators offer several unique multi-game ticket packages as well as discounted group rates, suite rentals, and birthday parties. For more information call 770-497-5100 or log on to gwinnettgladiators.com.

The Gladiators are the AA affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers and play all home games at the spectacular 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, where parking is always free.

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ECHL Stories from March 7, 2009


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