ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Sign Goaltender Effinger

Published on August 22, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators announced today that they have signed goaltender Charlie Effinger for the 2008-09 season.

Effinger becomes the first goaltender signed by the Gladiators for the upcoming season. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound netminder posted a perfect 6-0-0 record during his senior season with Miami University in Ohio last year. He finished the season notching a 2.16 goals against average and a .912 save percentage in 6 games while posting a 4-0-0 record during CCHA conference play.

The Belleville, Illinois native had a career year during his sophomore season appearing in 19 games and ranking first in the CCHA in both goals-against average (1.83) and save percentage (.931). He was also ranked second nationally in both categories.

During his sophomore season in 2005-06, Effinger was named the CCHA's best goaltender and was named to the All-CCHA Second Team while he was honored as Miami's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Effinger became the first RedHawks netminder to earn all-CCHA honors since the 1996-97 season when Trevor Prior, who played for Gwinnett during the 2003-04 season, earned all-CCHA honors.

During his four-year collegiate career, Effinger appeared in 53 games with the RedHawks while posting a 32-12-4 record. He finished with a .912 save percentage and a 2.35 goals against average and two shutouts.

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 23 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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