ECHL ECHL

Gladiators road success leads to quick start

Published on November 9, 2015 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Starting the season with seven of their first nine games on the road has not slowed down the Atlanta Gladiators. With a sweep of a three-game series in Idaho last week, the Gladiators are 6-2-1 for 13 points, and tied for second place in the South Division, three points behind Florida.

The Gladiators opened the series in Boise with a 5-4 win on Wednesday. Atlanta started quickly, scoring three first-period goals, which included the quickest three goals combined by both teams in ECHL history. After Brock Higgs scored with 24 seconds remaining in the first period to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead, Idaho scored twice before the period ended for three combined goals in 23 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 26 seconds set by Charlotte and Greenville on Dec. 26, 1999. The Steelheads scored twice in the second period to take a 4-3 lead into the final period, but goals from Brad Navin and Derek Nesbitt in the final 20 minutes lifted Atlanta to the win.

Friday saw Atlanta take another one-goal decision with a 5-4 overtime win. Mike Merrifield scored his first goal of the season 4:02 into the extra session to give the Gladiators the win. Merrifield, who also added an assist earlier in the game, was one of four Atlanta players to tally multiple points in the win, led by Zach Yuen who assisted on three of the Gladiators' five goals.

The Gladiators wrapped up the series with a 3-1 win on Saturday. Max Everson and Higgs staked Atlanta to a 2-0 lead early in the second period, and with a one-goal lead late in regulation, Eric Neiley scored his first pro goal into an empty net to seal the win. Kent Patterson made 30 saves, including 10 in the final period, to record the win in goal for the Gladiators.

Atlanta has been led offensively by veteran forward Nesbitt, who is tied for the ECHL lead with seven goals and is tied for fourth in the league with 11 points while Garry Nunn is tied for the league lead with nine assists.

The Gladiators, whose five road wins are tied for second in the ECHL, return to home ice for three of their four games this week. Atlanta hosts Florida on Tuesday, Adirondack on Friday and Greenville on Sunday while visiting the Swamp Rabbits on Thursday.

Sweep in Alaska moves Grizzlies to top of division

Sweeping a three-game series at Alaska for the first time in club history has moved the Utah Grizzlies into first place of the West Division with an overall record of 6-3-1 for 13 points.

Utah opened the series with a 4-2 win on Wednesday. After spotting the Aces an early 1-0 lead, the Grizzlies roared back with three straight goals to take a 3-1 lead midway through the second period. After Alaska closed within one, Matt Berry scored his second goal of the night midway through the third period to set the final. Ryan Faragher stopped 28 shots, including all 15 he faced in the final period, to pick up the win in goal.

On Friday, Ryan Misiak notched a goal and an assist for the first multi-point game of his pro career to lead the Grizzlies to a 4-1 win. Misiak assisted on the first goal of the game late in the second period and his first pro goal at 13:37 of the third period turned out to be the game winner.

In the series finale on Saturday, Utah scored three times in the final period to rally from a 2-0 deficit and skate away with a 3-2 win. Alex Krushelnyski put the Grizzlies on the scoreboard just 54 seconds into the final period before Josh Macdonald tied the score with a power-play goal just past the midway mark of the period. Charles Sarault picked up the game-winning, scoring his third goal of the season with 1:03 remaining in regulation. Faragher picked up his third win of the series behind a 34-save effort.

Berry leads all ECHL rookies, and is tied for the overall league lead with seven goals, while his 11 points are second among first-year players and tied for fourth overall. Barry Almeida has scored six goals, which is tied for fifth in the league. Ryan Walters has also tallied 11 points (4g-7a) for Utah which is tied for seventh in the league with 3.30 goals per game.

Faragher has won all six of his starts this season, which has him tied for second in the league in wins. He is second in the league with a .950 save percentage and ranks 10th with a 1.81 goals-against average.

Utah is home for three games this week, hosting Colorado on Wednesday and Rapid City on Friday and Saturday.

A look ahead

Games to watch in the ECHL during the week ahead. Watch ECHL games live on ECHL.TV.

Eastern Conference

Adirondack at Atlanta (Friday)

The Thunder, who won their first seven games this season, are 8-1-0 for the season and are second in the league with 16 points, while the Gladiators have won five straight games entering the week and are just three points behind division-leading Florida in the South Division.

Western Conference

Fort Wayne at Cincinnati (Wednesday)

The Komets enter the week on top of the Midwest Division with 12 points while the Cyclones, who have just one regulation loss through seven games, are just one point off the pace.

Divisions

East Division

- Alexandre Carrier had his first career multi-goal game on Friday at Cincinnati.

- The Thunder's seven-game winning streak to start the season was one win shy of tying the ECHL record.

- Adirondack is at Atlanta on Friday and Greenville on Saturday.

- Mike Seidel has four goals in his last five games.

- The Jackals are 3-0-0 when leading after one period.

- Elmira is at Norfolk on Tuesday and hosts the Admirals on Friday and Brampton on Saturday.

- Massimo Lamacchia made his professional debut on Sunday at Brampton.

- Manchester is third with 33.86 shots per game.

- The Monarchs are at Kalamazoo on Tuesday and host Toledo on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Connor Rankin is tied for first among rookies with a 33.3 percent shooting percentage (2-for-6).

- The Admirals have scored 11 of their 25 goals in the first period.

- Norfolk hosts Elmira on Tuesday and visits the Jackals on Friday and Reading on Saturday and Sunday.

- Matt Hatch scored a goal in both of the Royals' games over the weekend.

- Reading has allowed one goal or less in four of their 10 games.

- The Royals host Wheeling on Wednesday, visit the Nailers on Friday and host Norfolk on Saturday and Sunday.

North Division

- Mark MacMillan and Luc-Olivier Blain both recorded their first pro goals on Friday against Manchester.

- The Beast are the league's fifth-least penalized team with 12.40 penalty minutes per game.

- Brampton visits Elmira on Saturday and hosts Kalamazoo on Sunday.

- Joel Martin made his 500th career professional appearance on Saturday at Fort Wayne.

- Kalamazoo is 4-1-1 in its last six games.

- The K-Wings host Manchester on Tuesday, Evansville on Friday, Cincinnati on Saturday and Brampton on Sunday.

- Jeff Lerg is third in the league with a 1.36 goals-against average.

- The Walleye set a Huntington Center record with 8,317 for Saturday's home opener.

- Toledo is at Manchester on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Clark Seymour is tied for third among defensemen with 28 shots on goal.

- Wheeling is 4-0-2 in its last six morning games entering Tuesday's game against Cincinnati.

- The Nailers host Cincinnati on Tuesday, visit Reading on Wednesday and host the Royals on Friday and Evansville on Saturday and Sunday.

South Division

- Brock Higgs is on a five-game point streak (3g-4a).

- Atlanta is tied for second in the league with five road wins (5-1-1).

- The Gladiators host Florida on Tuesday, visit Greenville on Thursday and host Adirondack on Friday and Greenville on Sunday.

- Mike Aviani is tied for fifth in the league with six goals.

- The Everblades have outscored their opponents 17-5 in the first period.

- Florida is at Atlanta on Tuesday and hosts Idaho on Friday and Saturday.

- Brian Hart leads the Swamp Rabbits with four goals.

- Greenville is 2-1-0 when tied after two periods.

- The Swamp Rabbits host Atlanta on Thursday and Adirondack on Saturday before visiting the Gladiators on Sunday.

- Jack Rodewald is third among rookies with 10 points (2g-8a).

- Orlando is second with 3.88 goals per game.

- The Solar Bears host Idaho on Thursday and visit South Carolina on Friday and Saturday.

- Brendan Ellis scored his first professional goal on Saturday against Elmira.

- South Carolina has won four of its last five games.

- The Stingrays host Orlando on Friday and Saturday.

Midwest Division

- Brad Thiessen leads the league with a 1.18 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage.

- The Cyclones have scored at least four goals in four of their five wins.

- Cincinnati is at Wheeling on Tuesday, hosts Fort Wayne on Wednesday and Quad City on Friday, and travels to Kalamazoo on Saturday.

- Daultan Leveille leads the IceMen with three goals.

- Evansville has scored eight of its 12 goals in the third period.

- The IceMen are at Kalamazoo on Friday and Wheeling on Saturday and Sunday.

- Garrett Thompson is tied for second with six power-play points (1g-5a).

- The Komets are 16-for-16 on the penalty kill over their last three games.

- Fort Wayne visits Cincinnati on Wednesday and Quad City on Sunday.

- Ben Marshall is second among rookie defensemen with seven points (1g-6a).

- Indy has scored first in six of its first nine games and is 5-0-1 in those games.

- The Fuel host Alaska on Friday and Saturday.

- Olivier Archambault has three goals in his last three games.

- The Mallards are tied for the league lead with three games decided in overtime or a shootout.

- Quad City hosts Alaska on Wednesday, is at Cincinnati on Friday and hosts Fort Wayne on Sunday.

Central Division

- Chad Costello is on a six-game point streak (1g-8a).

- Allen leads the league on the penalty kill at 94.4 percent (34-for-36).

- The Americans host Wichita on Tuesday, are at Tulsa on Friday and host Colorado on Saturday and Sunday.

- Jesse Root is tied for the league lead with seven goals.

- The Mavericks are 6-1-1 when outshooting their opponent.

- Missouri is at Wichita on Friday and Saturday.

- Brandon Wong is one goal shy of 100 for his professional career.

- Tulsa is 4-0-0 when scoring first.

- The Oilers are at Wichita on Wednesday and host Allen on Friday.

- Mason Baptista has three goals in his last five games.

- The Thunder is 20-for-20 on the penalty kill at home.

- Wichita is at Allen on Tuesday and hosts Tulsa on Wednesday and Missouri on Friday and Saturday.

West Division

- Justin Breton leads the Aces with six goals and seven points.

- Alaska is fourth with 32.73 shots per game.

- The Aces visit Quad City on Wednesday and Indy on Friday and Saturday.

- Collin Bowman is tied for third among defensemen with four goals.

- The Eagles are third on the penalty kill at 91.4 percent (32-for-35).

- Colorado visits Utah on Wednesday and Allen on Saturday and Sunday.

- Jefferson Dahl has four multi-point games.

- Idaho opens a nine-game road trip on Thursday.

- The Steelheads are at Orlando on Thursday and Florida on Friday and Saturday.

- Daniel O'Donoghue leads Rapid City with five goals.

- The Rush are 3-0-0 in one-goal games.

- Rapid City is at Utah on Friday and Saturday.

- Matt Berry leads rookies with seven goals.

- Utah has outscored its opponents 15-9 in the third period.

- The Grizzlies host Colorado on Wednesday and Rapid City on Friday and Saturday.

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