ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gwinnett posts shootout win over Lynx, 3-2

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


Ryan Mahrle collected the game winning shootout goal for Gwinnett in the sixth round while Mike Vigilante netted a pair of goals to help the Gwinnett Gladiators to a 3-2 shootout win over the Augusta Lynx on Tuesday night at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. With the win, Gwinnett remains in second place in the ECHL's South Division with 31 points while improving to 15-5-1 on the year. Derek Nesbitt notched a pair of assists to extend his point scoring streak to nine games.

Gwinnett broke a scoreless tie in the second period on Vigilante's 9th goal of the season just 6:53 into the period. Parked on the opposite post on the power play, Vigilante took a rink wide-pass from Jeff Campbell and stuffed the puck past Augusta netminder J.P Levasseur for the marker. Nesbitt also recorded an assist on the goal for Gwinnett to extend his assist streak to a league-high nine consecutive games for the Gladiators.

Igor Pohanka tied the game at one at the 13:58 mark of the second period. Pohanka slid past a pair of Gladiators defensemen in the slot and flipped the puck past Gwinnett netminder Dan Turple for the goal. Bobby Bolt and Eric Lundberg had the assists on the goal for the Lynx.

Augusta took a 2-1 lead on Pohanka's second goal of the contest for the Lynx just 5:20 into the third period. The marker came on the power play with Bolt and Matt Auffrey notching the assists on the marker for Augusta.

Gwinnett answered with Vigilante's second goal of the game and his 10th of the season on the power play. In a similar fashion to his first goal, vigilante took a rink wide pass and jammed the puck past Levasseur for the marker at the 6:13 mark of the third period. Nesbitt and Campbell again added the assists for Gwinnett on the goal.

Both teams had power play chances in the overtime period but neither team could capitalize sending the game to overtime. Campbell and Lou Dickenson scored for Gwinnett while Aaron Slattengren and Auffrey collected shootout goals for Augusta sending the contest into a sudden death sixth round where Mahrle eventually won the contest for Gwinnett.

Turple finished with 42 saves for the Gladiators in the win, including 7 in the overtime session alone. Gwinnett finished 2-for-6 on the power play in the victory while Augusta finished 1-for-4 on the man advantage.

The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Thursday, December 13th as they travel to Charlotte to take on the Checkers at 7:05 p.m. Catch all the play-by-play action in Thursday's on WDUN, News Talk 550.

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.

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ECHL Stories from December 11, 2007


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