ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Post 6-3 Win on Charlotte

February 27, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


Two shorthanded goals by Andy Brandt and another by Dirk Southern powered the Gwinnett Gladiators to a come-from-behind 6-3 win over the Charlotte Checkers Friday night in front of 5,023 fans at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. With the win, Gwinnett improves to 24-23-1-5, marking the first time the team has had a winning percentage above .500 since December 16th.

The Checkers were given an early opportunity when Gwinnett netminder Dan Turple was called for delay of game for playing the puck in the restricted area in the corner. Charlotte took advantage, scoring 2:56 into the game on the power play. Chris Murray fired a shot from the left wing point, and the rebound bounced right to Mike Bayrack on the doorstep. Peter-James Corsi also assisted on the goal, Bayrack's 17th of the season.

Corsi got onto the scoresheet again three minutes later. Kenny Smith carried the puck behind the net, and found Corsi open on Turple's right. The forward roofed the puck for his eighth of the season to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Checkers.

With 6 minutes left in the first period, and the Checkers on a 5-on-3, Jeff Mason poked the puck loose at the blueline. Dirk Southern carried the puck in, and passed across to Mason on the right wing side. Mason missed the shot, but Southern grabbed the rebound from behind the net and tucked in the shorthanded goal to make the score 2-1.

Pat Bateman scored the equalizer for the Gladiators early in the second stanza. Scott Marchesi took a pass from Tom Zanoski and fired a shot towards the net. The shot missed right, bounced off the back boards, and found its way to Bateman on the right doorstep. The goal was Bateman's 15th of the season.

The home fans did not have to wait long for the go-ahead goal. Only :09 seconds later, while everyone was still celebrating the Bateman's goal, Jean-Claude Sawyer scored to make the score 3-2 for the Gladiators. Adam Berti and Andy Brandt tallied assists on Sawyer's third of the season.

7:57 into the period, with the Checkers on the power play, Dirk Southern knocked the puck loose and drove in on a two-on-one breakaway. Southern passed across the ice to Brandt, who put it past goalie Maxime Daigneault, making the score 4-2. The shorthanded goal was the Gladiators' second of the game and tenth of the year.

Charlotte got a goal back midway through the second period on another goal by Corsi. The forward shot the puck from the left wing faceoff circle. Turple got a piece of the puck, but not enough to make the save. Chris Capraro assisted on the goal.

Pat Bateman tallied his second of the game 4:50 into the third period. Dirk Southern held the puck down low in the offensive zone, and found Bateman in the slot, who sneaked it through Daigneault's five-hole. Brennan Turner also tallied an assist on Bateman's 16th of the year, making the score 5-3.Two shorthanded goals by Andy Brandt and another by Dirk Southern powered the Gwinnett Gladiators to a come-from-behind 6-3 win over the Charlotte Checkers Friday night in front of 5,023 fans at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. With the win, Gwinnett improves to 24-23-1-5, marking the first time the team has had a winning percentage above .500 since December 16th.

The Checkers were given an early opportunity when Gwinnett netminder Dan Turple was called for delay of game for playing the puck in the restricted area in the corner. Charlotte took advantage, scoring 2:56 into the game on the power play. Chris Murray fired a shot from the left wing point, and the rebound bounced right to Mike Bayrack on the doorstep. Peter-James Corsi also assisted on the goal, Bayrack's 17th of the season.

Corsi got onto the scoresheet again three minutes later. Kenny Smith carried the puck behind the net, and found Corsi open on Turple's right. The forward roofed the puck for his eighth of the season to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Checkers.

With 6 minutes left in the first period, and the Checkers on a 5-on-3, Jeff Mason poked the puck loose at the blueline. Dirk Southern carried the puck in, and passed across to Mason on the right wing side. Mason missed the shot, but Southern grabbed the rebound from behind the net and tucked in the shorthanded goal to make the score 2-1.

Pat Bateman scored the equalizer for the Gladiators early in the second stanza. Scott Marchesi took a pass from Tom Zanoski and fired a shot towards the net. The shot missed right, bounced off the back boards, and found its way to Bateman on the right doorstep. The goal was Bateman's 15th of the season.

The home fans did not have to wait long for the go-ahead goal. Only :09 seconds later, while everyone was still celebrating the Bateman's goal, Jean-Claude Sawyer scored to make the score 3-2 for the Gladiators. Adam Berti and Andy Brandt tallied assists on Sawyer's third of the season.

7:57 into the period, with the Checkers on the power play, Dirk Southern knocked the puck loose and drove in on a two-on-one breakaway. Southern passed across the ice to Brandt, who put it past goalie Maxime Daigneault, making the score 4-2. The shorthanded goal was the Gladiators' second of the game and tenth of the year.

Charlotte got a goal back midway through the second period on another goal by Corsi. The forward shot the puck from the left wing faceoff circle. Turple got a piece of the puck, but not enough to make the save. Chris Capraro assisted on the goal.

Pat Bateman tallied his second of the game 4:50 into the third period. Dirk Southern held the puck down low in the offensive zone, and found Bateman in the slot, who sneaked it through Daigneault's five-hole. Brennan Turner also tallied an assist on Bateman's 16th of the year, making the score 5-3.

Charlotte received a power play late in the game, and pulled the goalie at the same time. Andy Brandt scored the empty net goal, his second shorthanded goal of the game. Jordan Fox assisted on the goal.

Gwinnett was held scoreless on the power play, going 0-for-3. The Gladiators held Charlotte to 1-for-6 with the man advantage, and managed to score three goals of their own.

Dan Turple made 27 saves for Gwinnett, improving to 2-0-0-1 for the Gladiators.

Charlotte received a power play late in the game, and pulled the goalie at the same time. Andy Brandt scored the empty net goal, his second shorthanded goal of the game. Jordan Fox assisted on the goal.

Gwinnett was held scoreless on the power play, going 0-for-3. The Gladiators held Charlotte to 1-for-6 with the man advantage, and managed to score three goals of their own.

Dan Turple made 27 saves for Gwinnett, improving to 2-0-0-1 for the Gladiators.

The Gladiators continue the 2008-09 season on Sunday, March 1st on the road as they travel to North Charleston to take on the South Carolina Stingrays at 5:05 p.m. Catch all the play by play action 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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