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ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Lose to Wildcatters 4-3

March 24, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators dropped their second consecutive game in a 4-3 loss against the Texas Wildcatters on Saturday night at the Ford Arena in Beaumont, Texas. Gwinnett slips into third place in the South Division with the loss as they fall to 38-21-7 on the season.

Texas jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Gladiators with a pair of goals less than two minutes apart early in the first period. Steve Mullin pinched in from his point position and ripped a slap shot over the shoulder of Gladiators netminder Dave Caruso at the 7:11 mark of the first period to give the Wildcatters a 1-0 lead. Leon Hayward and Jason Beeman collected the assists on the goal working the puck deep in the Gwinnett zone.

Kevin Baker took a rink wide pass along the goal line and jammed the puck past Caruso to give the Wildcatters a 2-0 lead on the Gladiators at the 8:423 mark of the first period. Mike Bayrack and Jonathan Paiement had the assist on the Texas goal.

In his first game back for the Gladiators after missing over three months on the injured reserve, Brandon Kaleniecki cut the Texas lead to a goal as he flicked the puck over Texas netminder Miroslav Kopriva for the marker. Kopriva was diving to knock a centering pass away from Kaleniecki but couldn't break up the play. Mike Vigilante and Andy Contois collected the assists on Kaleniecki 2nd goal of the season for the Gladiators. The marker came at the 9:22 mark of the first period.

Gwinnett tied the game at 2-2 on Blue Bennefield's 16th goal of the season with just 4:31 left in the first period. Finding a loose puck in the slot, Bennefield jammed the puck past Kopriva for the goal as Joel Stepp and Chad Painchaud had the assists on the power play goal for Gwinnett.

Texas regained the lead on the power play at the 8:19 mark of the second period. Bayrack collected his first goal of the night as he ripped a one-time slap shot over the shoulder of Caruso for the marker. Ben Thompson and Oliver Proulx had the assists on the goal for the Wildcatters.

Kaleniecki's second goal of the game pushed the game back into a tie, this time at 3-3, late in the second period. Stepp helped set up the play as he pushed the puck off the right wing to Painchaud who found Kaleniecki walking into the Texas zone. Kaleniecki flicked the puck over the outstretched had of Texas netminder Matt Yeats for the goal with 2:22 left in the middle stanza. Yeats relieved Kopriva in the Texas goal to begin the second period.

Texas regained the lead just 2:23 into the third period as Proulx ripped a slapshot from just inside the Gwinnett blue line past Caruso for the go ahead goal which proved to be the game winner. Daniel Sparre and Mike Madill collected the assists on the goal for the Wildcatters.

Caruso finished with 45 saves, just two shy of the Gladiators team record of 47 that he set back on November 24th in South Carolina, in the loss. Gwinnett went 1-for-7 on the power play while Texas converted on 2-of-11 power play chances in the win.

The Gwinnett Gladiators continue their fourth season as a proud member of the ECHL as they host the South Carolina Stingrays on the Your Best Rate Financial Home Ice at the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Thursday, March 29th at 7:05 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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