ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators End Season on High Note, Shred Jackals 7-0

Published on April 12, 2014 under ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


DULUTH, Ga. - The Gwinnett Gladiators ended the 2013-14 season on a high note Saturday night, crushing the Elmira Jackals 7-0 in front of 6,179 fans at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

Coyotes prospect Brenden Walker notched the team's first hat trick of the season in game 72, while Casey Pierro-Zabotel finished with two goals and two assists, and Mark Guggenberger pitched a 21-save shutout.

For the first time since March 23rd against Toledo, Gwinnett (29-38-3-2) was able to get on the board first. It took ten minutes of back-and-forth action, but after a shorthanded rush by Elmira (24-40-3-5), the Gladiators turned back an odd man rush of their own on their first power play chance of the night. Chris Culligan led the rush through the neutral zone, carrying the puck all the way to the low slot before shuffling a backhand pass to Pierro-Zabotel at the right post, who chipped it in at 9:58. Maxime Legault added the second assist.

Walker doubled up the score at two with a toe-drag goal in the low slot at 17:23, from Marshall Everson and Eric Springer. Walker's 20th goal on the season tied him at the time with Marshall Everson for the team lead in tallies.

Gwinnett continued to tire out the Elmira defense in the second, pummeling Neil Conway with 16 more shots. Everson reclaimed his team lead in goals five minutes and 50 seconds in, assisted by Eriks Sevcenko and Matt Clune. At 12:17, Pierro-Zabotel ratcheted his second of the night on a mid-slot setup from Everson to make it 4-0. And then with just six seconds left in the frame, Walker capped off the strong period by tapping in his second of the night, re-tying him with Everson, on a slow loose puck in the crease.

Both of Gwinnett's third period goals came on the same penalty kill. Legault was called for tripping 3:54 into the period, but just 10 seconds after the call Josh Currie rushed in on net and was denied on an initial chance by new Elmira goalie Chris Driedger. Currie stuck with the play, and backhanded his own rebound in with Kurtis Bartliff and Culligan assisting.

46 seconds after that, Walker rushed down the right wing side, froze Driedger with a fake slapper, and slipped around the goaltender to deposit a wrist shot to complete the hat trick. Pierro-Zabotel and Art Bidlevskii had the helpers on Walker's 22nd and final goal of the season.

Gwinnett outshot Elmira 42-21, and went 1-for-4 on the power play while holding the Jackals to an 0-for-1 mark.

With the team's 11th season in the books, the Gladiators are set to return for their 2014-15 campaign at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. To reserve a seat, visit 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 Phoenix 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.

For all the latest team news, contests, and more visit GwinnettGladiators.com, or "like" the Gladiators on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GwinnettGladiators), and follow the team on Twitter (www.twitter.com/GWTGladiators).

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