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ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Speared by Stingrays, 6-3

December 14, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


DULUTH, Ga. - On a quick turnaround from a physical matchup the night prior, the Gladiators (7-13-1-0) could not muster up enough strength Sunday afternoon to get the win from the South Carolina Stingrays (12-10-0-4) on their sixth meeting of the season, losing 6-3. Casey Pierro-Zabotel came away with a goal and an assist, while Bo Dolan scored his first career goal.

In a very dicey first period, with nine total penalties, it would be the Gladiators who would sting the "˜Rays first with a goal at 8:11. Bobby Hughes went streaking down the left flank and made the turn towards goal, drawing the attention of South Carolina goalie, Adam Morrison. Instead of taking the shot, Hughes centered the puck back to an open Brenden Walker, who, while striding backwards, slapped the puck into an empty net.

However, the Stingrays would even the score at 9:53 with a goal off the stick of John Mitchell. On the Stingrays' second two-man advantage of the period, the Gladiators were overwhelmed in front of the net, and Caleb Herbert scored their second goal of the period at 14:26. The "˜Rays tacked on a third at the end of the period, at 18:35, when Braden Pimm shot the puck over Mark Guggenberger for his seventh of the season.

The second period mirrored the first, as the Gladiators added to their tally first at 7:46. The Gladiators had been buzzing around the goal for a bit on a power play, when Tristan Llewellyn shot the puck over to an awaiting Casey Pierro-Zabotel in the right face off circle, who then sent a quick bullet into the back of the net for his ninth of the season. The Gladiators tied up the game at 13:41 directly off of a faceoff win. Pierro-Zabotel slapped the puck out of the draw to Bo Dolan, slammed one past a completely unsuspecting Morrison for his first career goal.

The "˜Rays broke up the tie at 17:10, with Nathan Walker scoring his first goal of the season. South Carolina brought the difference back up to two, with a fifth goal at 19:08 from Andrew Cherniwchan.

After exchanging eight goals in the first two periods, only one empty net goal was scored in the dwindling seconds of the third period by the "˜Rays' Cody Sylvester at 19:08, doubling up the Glads, 6-3.

Guggenberger stopped 30 of the 35 shots he faced, and on the other side of the ice, Morrison stopped 19 of the 22 shots the Gladiators sent his way.

The Gladiators will travel down to the Sunshine State to take on the first place Everblades for two games, December 17 th and 19 th, both with 7:30 p.m. starts. The Gladiators will return to The Arena at Gwinnett Center on Sunday, December 21 st to ring in the holidays one last time before the break, with Santa on Ice, against the Orlando Solar Bears at 2:05 p.m.

For tickets and schedule information, visit the official team website at www.gwinnettgladiators.com or call the main office line at 770-497-5100.

The Gladiators are members of the ECHL, the nation's premier "AA" hockey league, and are affiliated with the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL. All home games are played at the 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth - where parking is always free.

As Atlanta's "One and Only" professional hockey team, the Gladiators have established an extraordinary winning tradition and unrivaled commitment to excellence, maintaining a distinctive reputation for affordable and family-friendly sports entertainment. The Gladiators are consistently ranked as one of the top "Things To Do" in the Atlanta area and across the North Georgia region.

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