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ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gwinnett Falls to Augusta in a Shootout, 3-2

October 21, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators could not score in the shootout after giving up the game tying goal with less than a minute left in regulation in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Augusta Lynx on Tuesday night at The Arena at Gwinnett Center. Gwinnett falls to 1-0-1 on the season after the shootout loss.

Gwinnett took a 1-0 lead on the Lynx on Jordan Fox's first goal of the season 16:56 into the first period. Fox found a loose puck sitting in the crease after it slipped past Augusta netmidner Riku Helenius and tapped the puck into the next for the marker. Ryan Mahrle and Bryan Esner collected the assists on the power play goal for the Gladiators.

Augusta answered on the power play as Aaron Slattengren powered down the left wing side, past a Gladiators defenseman and flicked the puck over the shoulder of Gwinnett netminder Kevin Nastiuk for the goal. Matt Auffrey and Tim Branham posted the assists on the goal at 18:53 of the first period.

Jeff Prough's first professional goal gave Gwinnett a 2-1 lead late in the second period. Prough threaded the puck thorugh traffic and past Helenius for the marker with 3:19 left in the middle stanza. Gwinnett got assists on goal from Josh Engel and Brad Schell.

Augusta equalized the contest with less than a minute remaining in the third period. Auffrey beat Nastiuk over the glove after sliding by a Gladiators defenseman and walking into the slot before beating the netminder. Slattengren and Scott Thauwald notched the assists on the goal for Augusta at 19:29 of the third period.

Nastiuk notched 27 saves in the shootout loss for Gwinnett. The Gladiators went 1-for-8 on the power play in the contest while Augusta was 1-for-5 on the man advantage in the win.

The Gladiators continue the 2008-09 season on Tuesday, October 28th at the Arena at Gwinnett Center as they host the Charlotte Checkers at 7:05 p.m.

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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