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ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Win Wild Shootout over Solar Bears, 6-5

January 11, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


DULUTH, Ga. - Looking to turn things around from their performance Friday night, the Gwinnett Gladiators got all that and more, scoring five times in the first two periods, losing a three goal lead, and then winning in the shootout over the Orlando Solar Bears, 6-5. Four Gladiators finished with multiple points, Marshall Everson leading the way with three.

The Gladiators (14-20-0-2) started the first period with the all-important first goal at 9:29. Maxime Legault threw a perfect pass to Marshall Everson, who was waiting on the edge of the crease. Instead of taking the shot, Everson kicked the puck off his skate and behind to Kurtis Bartliff, who had the perfect screen to nail the shot over Orlando (19-13-1-1) starter Christopher Gibson's left shoulder.

A minute and nine seconds later, the Gladiators continued as Brett Lyon passed the puck to Josh Currie at the top of the slot, who came to a stop and scored nearside past a still-moving Gibson. Orlando head coach Vince Williams called a time out after that strike, and immediately afterwards, the Solar Bears responded with a goal from Zach Harrison at 10:59. The Gladiators snatched back the momentum with one more goal at 12:03. Rob Kwiet took the initial shot from the far point on the power play, and it was Legault that tipped the shot in. Gwinnett has scored at least one power play in 12 of their last 16 games.

In the second, Orlando carried over their momentum from the latter half of the first period, despite Gwinnett scoring first at 1:39 on Kwiet's third goal of the season, from the slot. Harrison would score his second of the night at 5:27 past Brad Phillips, but Everson would give the Gladiators another tally on a nice feed from Joey Haddad in the nearside corner. Everson, who was last night's lone goal scorer for the Gladiators, scored his seventh on the season from his wheelhouse, in the low slot at 9:29 of the 2nd.

That goal pushed Gibson out of the Orlando crease in favor of Ross MacKinnon, who was stellar in relief, stopping all 18 of the shots he faced before the shootout. That change in net would also motivate the Solar Bears as Michael Catenacci would give Orlando their third goal of the game at 15:06, closing out a period that saw both sides score two goals.

Orlando scored the only two goals of the third, cementing their comeback with Mickey Lang's league leading 21st goal at 7:13, and then Eric Baier's desperation heave on net at 16:01 to tie the score. Both sides played a scoreless overtime frame, with Gwinnett killing off a crucial PK in the final 2:08 of the extra frame. The Gladiators remain the only team in the ECHL to not have a game decided in OT.

In the shootout, it took a nerve-wracking four rounds for somebody to break, but it was Rob Kwiet in the bottom of the fourth that served up the game winner with his stutter step move through the heart of the crease. It was the first shootout the Gladiators participated in since December 6th, and their first SO win since October 30th.

Gwinnett will now hit the road for their longest road trip of the season, a week long excursion that will see them visiting three cities up north for four games; Evansville, Cincinnati, and Kalamazoo. The team will return to the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Monday, January 20th to take on Wheeling in the annual MLK Kids Day Out, at a special matinee time of 12:30 P.M.

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