ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Win 7th Straight, Beat Lynx 5-4

December 15, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


Lou Dickenson watched Derek Nesbitt's first period goal slip past Augusta netmidner JP Levasseur to give the Gladiators a 2-0 lead on Augusta as the Gladiators hung on to knock off the Lynx 5-4 on Saturday night at the James Brown Arena. With the win, Gwinnett extends its winning streak to seven games while improving to 18-5-1 on the season with the win. Nesbitt finished with three points in the win for the Gladiators.

Myles Stoesz gave the Gladiators a 1-0 lead for the second consecutive game for Gwinnett, potting the game's first goal just 1:39 into the game. Parked in the slot, Stoesz ripped a snapshot past Augusta netminder JP Levasseur for the marker. Stuart MacRae notched an assist on the goal rolling the puck in to the slot to set up Stoesz on the goal.

Gwinnett took a 2-0 lead on Derek Nesbitt's 10th goal of the season. Picking up a loose puck in the right wing circle, Nesbitt beat Levasseur with a slapshot that just trickled over the line for the goal. Chad Denny had an assist on the goal at the 9:05 mark of the first peirod.

Jeff Campbell extended Gwinnett's lead to 3-0 at the 16:14 mark of the first period. In a pile up in front of the Augusta net, Campbell jammed the puck past Levasseur for the marker. Tomas Pospisil collected an assist on the goal which chased Levasseur in favor of back up netminder Bobby Goepfert.

Augusta got on the board with a shorthanded goal just 1:35 into the second period. Aaron Slattengren slipped past a Gladaitors defenseman and picked up a loose puck in the Gwinnett zone and beat Gladiators netmidner Dan Turple for the goal. Slattengren's marker came unassisted for Augusta.

Gwinnett answered about a minute later on Chad Denny's first goal of the season. Denny beat Goepfert with a slap shot from the right wing point for the marker. Nesbitt added an assist on the goal for Gwinnett at the 2:31 mark of the second period.

Lou Dickenson pushed the Gwinnett lead to 5-1 with his 9th goal of the season for the Gladiators. In the high slot, Dickenson ripped a snapshot to the stick side past Goepfert for the marker. Nesbitt had his second assist of the night on the goal at the 4:38 mark of the second period.

Augusta cut the Gwinnett lead back to two goals with a pair of markers later in the middle stanza. Slattengren's second goal of the night pulled the Lynx back to 5-2 at the 9:05 mark of the second period. Igor Pohanaka and John Laliberte notched the assists on the power play marker for Augusta.

Matt Auffrey had the second of the two goals for Augusta, pulling the Lynx to within two goals at the 12:44 mark of the second period. Auffrey notched the goal unassisted on the power play for Augusta.

Augusta beared down in the third period pummeling Turple with 18 shots but could only get within a goal of the Gladiators over the final 20 minutes. Augusta got within a goal as Chase Watson beat Turple thorugh the five-hole at the 12:27 mark capitalizing on a Gwinnett turnover at the blue line. Pohanka and Ken Scuderi notched the assists on the goal for Augusta at the 12:27 mark of the third period.

Gwinnett finished 0-for-4 on the power play while the Lynx converted on two of their five power play chances in the loss. Turple finished with 38 saves in the win for Gwinnett.

The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Thursday, December 20th as they travel to Charlotte to take on the Checkers at 7:05 p.m. at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Catch all the play-by-play action in Friday's game online via AccessNorthGa.com audio stream 3.

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 has 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 continue their fifth season as a proud member of the ECHL - 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.




ECHL Stories from December 15, 2007


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