ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Skin Lynx in Exhibition, 7-2

October 11, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators defeated the Augusta Lynx 7-2 in the team's only exhibition game of the 2007-08 season exploding for four third period goals and getting 20 saves from Craig Kowalski to help Giwnnett to the win.

Gwinnett took a quick lead on the Lynx in the opening period on Derek Nesbitt's power play goal just 2:29 into the first period. Sliding through the slot, Nesbitt found a rebound and jammed the puck past Augusta netminder Nathan Marsters for the power play tally. Jamie Milam collected an assist on the marker ripping a slapshot that Marsters left sitting in the slot where Nesbitt picked up the loose puck.

Augusta answered four minutes later to tie the game at one as Aaron Slattengren hooked up with Ken Scuderi on a 2-on-1 break for the marker. Slattengren tucked the puck past Gladiators netminder Dan Turple at the 6:51 mark of the first period.

Dinos Stamoulis regained the lead for Gwinnett tucking the puck just inside the far post 57 seconds into the second period. Mike Hamilton picked up an assist as he fed Stamoulis at the point to set up the marker. Gwinnett took a two-goal lead later in the second period on a blast from Jon Awe at the right wing point. Awe picked the puck off the dasherboard and ripped a slapshot past Marsters for the marker at the 6:22 mark of the second period.

The Gladiators took over in the third period as they blew open a 3-1 lead in the final period. Awe's second goal of the game early in the third pushed Gwinnett's lead to three goals as the defenseman blasted another slap shot for the marker, this time past netminder A.J. Bucchino, who replaced Marsters half way though the second. Ryan Walsh collected an assist on the goal just 5:15 in to the third.

Mike Hamilton pushed Gwinnett's lead to four goals as he muscled down the right wing wall and lifted a backhand over the shoulder of Bucchino for an unassisted shorthanded goal at the 7:03 mark of the third. Augusta answered just 31 seconds after Hamilton's marker to cut the Gwinnett lead to 5-2. Jeremy Schenderling beat Craig Kowalski, who replaced Turple half way through the second period, with a snap shot from the left wing circle. Adrian Viedeman and Matt Johnson added the assists for the Lynx.

Gwinnett, though, continued to roll in the final period adding two more, the first, Hamilton's second of the game with 11:12 left in the period. Cleaning up the garbage in front of the net, Hamilton slipped the puck past Bucchino for the marker as Stuart MacRae collected the assist. Hamilton finished with a game high 3 points for the Gladiators.

Lou Dickinson rounded out the scoring as he pushed the Gwinnett lead to 7-2 as he flipped a rebound off of Bucchino past the netminer for the unassisted marker just five minutes after Hamilton gave Gwinnett a 4 goal cushion.

Despite giving up one goal, Kowalski kept the Lynx from keeping the contest close in the third period as he finished with 20 saves for Gwinnett. Turple collected 9 saves for the Gladiators over the first period and a half of action.

Gwinnett opens the regular season on October 19th as they travel to Pensacola to take on the Ice Pilots before finishing out the home and home series against Pensacola with the Gladiators home opener for the 2007-08 season on Saturday, October 20th at 7:35 p.m. at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

Opening Day in the ECHL for the 20th Anniversary Season will be Oct. 18 when the Johnstown Chiefs host the Wheeling Nailers at Cambria County War Memorial in a rematch of Game 7 from the first-ever ECHL Finals.

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary as the Premier 'AA' Hockey League in 2007-08, the ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in three states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league that will have 25 teams in 17 states and British Columbia in 2007-08. The 25 teams includes the Mississippi (Biloxi) Sea Wolves, who return after missing two seasons in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the expansion Elmira (N.Y.) Jackals. The ECHL will play 900 games beginning Oct. 18 and concluding Apr. 5.

The Gwinnett Gladiators open their fifth season as a proud member of the ECHL in October of 2007 - 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 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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ECHL Stories from October 11, 2007


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