ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators fall to Ice Pilots 8-5

December 29, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators were outgunned in an 8-5 loss to the Pensacola Ice Pilots on Friday night at the Pensacola Civic Center. Gwinnett falls 16-10-4 on the season in the loss.

Gwinnett took a 1-0 lead on the Ice Pilots on Jim Jackson's 5th goal of the season 2:51 into the contest. Jackson took a pass from Matt York and ripped a slapshot through traffic past Pensacola netminder Ben Gray for the goal. Colton Fretter also had an assist on the marker for the Gladiators.

Pensacola posted the next three goals to take a 3-1 lead after the opening period. Mike Wirll got the Ice Pilots on the board as he redirected a centering pass in the slot from David Wrigley past Gladiators netminder Dan Turple for the marker at the 5:43 mark of the first period. Travis Lisabeth also had an assist on the goal for the Ice Pilots.

Nikita Korovkin's marker at the 9:13 mark of the first period gave Pensacola a 2-1 lead on the Gladiators. Jesse Baraniuk set up Korovkin at the right wing point to post an assist on the marker. Wrigley had his second assist of the game on the goal.

Dallas Steward was credited with the Ice Pilots third goal as a bouncing puck ricocheted off the Ice Pilots forward past Turple for the marker at the 12:30 mark of the first period. Greg Watson and Baraniuk collected the assists on the Ice Pilots shorthanded goal.

Scott Mifsud posted his 12th goal of the season at the 8:37 mark of the second period as he beat Gray on a penalty shot to cut the Pensacola lead to one goal. Mifsud had been hauled down on a breakaway after York helped set up the play, as he hit Mifsud on an outlet pass in the neutral zone.

Pensacola answered about a minute later as Watson ripped a slapshot past Turple from the high slot to give the Ice Pilots a 4-2 lead. Derrick Byfuglien and Wirll added the assists on the goal for Pensacola. Jon Awe again got the Gladiators within a goal as he posted his 14th goal of the season, ripping a slapshot past Gray on the power play. Mifsud had the assist on the power play goal at the 12:58 mark of the second period as he fed Awe at the point to set up the marker.

Watson again answered for the Ice Pilots. Parked in the high slot, Watson ripped a slap shot past Turple to push the Ice Pilots lead back to two goals. Sergei Ogorodnikov posted the assists on the goal at the 16:55 mark of the second period by pushing the puck into the slot to a waiting Watson.

Fretter posted his 20th goal of the season to pull the Gladiators within a goal for the third time during the contest. Parked along the left wing wall, Fretter took a pass from Jamie Milam and walked in on Gray before ripping the puck off of traffic in front of the Ice Pilots net for the maker with just 22 seconds left in the second period. Chad Painchaud also had an assist on the power play goal.

Mike Vigilante tied the game at five with a power play goal just 24 seconds into the third period. Brad Schell added an assist on the power play goal for the Gladiators as he added his 56th point of the season.

Pensacola stormed back with three straight goals to take an 8-5 lead on the Gladiators. Dwayne Hay scored what proved to be the game winner as he ripped a slap shot past Turple at the 6:21 mark of the third period. Wrigley and Nikita Korovkin collected the assists on the goal.

Watson completed the hat trick at the 10:16 mark of the third period with a power play goal for the Ice Pilots. Parked in the high slot again, Watson ripped the slap shot past Turple off a feed from Steward for the marker. Korovkin also had an assist on the goal for the Ice Pilots.

Pensacola rounded out the scoring with a marker from Wrigley at the 10:56 mark of the third period on the power play. Nate Metcalf and Hay had the assists on the goal.

Turple finished with 25 saves for the Gladiators in the loss while Gwinnett went 3-for-11 on the power play in the loss.

The Gwinnett Gladiators continue their fourth season as a proud member of the ECHL on December 30th as they host the Pensacola Ice Pilots on the Your Best Rate Financial Home Ice at the Arena at Gwinnett Center at 7:35 p.m. Season tickets 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 on the Your Best Rate Financial Home Ice 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 December 29, 2006


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