ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Post 4-3 Shootout Win Over Checkers

Published on January 16, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators fell behind 2-0 early on but used two power play goals, a shorthanded marker, and a sudden-death shootout goal from Matt Francis to finish off the Charlotte Checkers 4-3 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Saturday night. A raucous crowd of 8,143 left happy as the Gladiators won consecutive home games for the first time all season.

The Checkers wasted little time resuming their scoring onslaught from their 9-4 victory over the Gladiators from three nights prior. Michel Leveille collected a loose puck behind the Gwinnett net and walked in front, roofing a wrist shot over the outstretched blocker of Gladiators goaltender David Brown, for the early 1-0 lead.

Charlotte upped their lead to two with a power play goal at 12:06 of the first. Matt Schepke's shot through traffic deflected off the body of David Marshall and into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead. Aaron Brocklehurst had gone off at 11:49 for hooking.

Despite trailing 2-0, the Gladiator poured on the offense in the closing minutes of the period, taking a 13-11 margin in shots, but were still unable to solve Charlotte goaltender Miika Wiikman.

The Gladiators finally solved Wiikman just 53 seconds into the second period. After Julien Brouillette had been assessed for a delay of game after the final horn of the first period, the Gladiators began the second with a full two-minute power play. Matt Siddall found Drew Paris open in the high slot, and the All-Star defenseman buried a shot low on Wiikman's blocker side to cut the Checkers' lead to one. Scott Mifsud also picked up an assist on the play to extend his point streak to five games.

Charlotte regained their two goal lead at 4:52 of the period after a Gwinnett turnover at the Charlotte blue line. Codey Burki collected the puck and skated coast to coast on an odd-man rush and, skating in uncontested, slid a shot just inside the far post for the 3-1 lead.

Pat Galivan, recently back from his call-up to the Gladiators' AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves, scored the Gladiators' first short-handed goal at home this season with just eight seconds remaining in the second period, cutting the Checkers' lead to 3-2. After Matt Siddall went off at 18:55 for high-sticking, the Gladiators took advantage of a turnover in their own zone and turned it into a 3-on-2 rush the other way. Jason Lawrence hit Galivan low in the slot, who redirected the pass just inside the near post for the goal. It was Galivan's second short-handed marker of the season and the fourth for the Gladiators overall.

At the end of 40 minutes, the Gladiators retained their shots advantage with a 29-20 margin.

Chris Higgins pulled the Gladiators even at three on the power play for his third goal in four games at 5:52 of the third period. After Aaron Slattengren went off on a double-minor penalty at 4:40, Higgins redirected a blast from Sam Roberts at the point to tie the game. Aaron Brocklehurst also picked up an assist to extend his point streak to four games.

The score would remain 3-3 through 60 minutes, and the game would move into overtime, the 12th time this season the Gladiators have played past regulation.

After a conservative, scoreless five-minute overtime period, the contest moved into a five-man shootout. Matt Francis deked Wiikman, beating him on the stick side in the sudden death seventh round of the shootout to give the Gladiators their first back-to-back home wins all season, as it took overtime to knock off South Carolina 6-5 at home one week prior.

The Gladiators move to 18-14-2-2 on the season, while the Checkers drop to 19-13-3-1.

David Brown stopped 26 saves for his first win since a 3-2 overtime victory over the Florida Everblades on December 27. Final shots at the end of the game were 45-29 in favor of Gwinnett.

The Gladiators had points from eight different skaters, as only Charlotte's Codey Burki finished with more than one point in the game.

The Gladiators held the Checkers to just 1-6 on the power play, while finishing 2-6 themselves and adding a short-handed marker. None of the Gladiators' three regulation goals were scored at even strength.

Brocklehurst, Higgins, Siddall, and Mifsud all extended their respective point streaks with one point apiece in the game.

The Gladiators travel to South Carolina for a 12:30 matinee against the Stingrays tomorrow before returning for an early afternoon contest of their own in a rematch with the Checkers on Monday afternoon.

The Gladiators are the AA affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers and Columbus Blue Jackets and play all home games at the 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth.

Check out the Atlanta Gladiators Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



ECHL Stories from January 16, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central