Duluth - Chad Denny scored his fourth goal of the season and Craig Kowalski made 25 saves, but it wasn't enough as the Gwinnett Gladiators fell to the Texas Wildcatters by a 2-1 score Saturday night in front of 10,342 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. With the loss, Gwinnett falls to 34-16-2-3 on the season.
Gwinnett and Texas skated to a scoreless first period. The Wildcatters outshot the Gladiators by an 11-7 margin. Both squads went 0-for-2 on the man advantage as the teams traded two unsuccessful power play chances each.
The teams skated for the first 17 minutes and change in the second period without scoring, until Texas broke the scoreless tie at the 17:48 mark of the period with a power play goal from Kevin Baker. With the Wildcatters on a power play, Benedict fed Baker at the corner of the Gwinnett crease and Baker beat a screened Craig Kowalski for the Texas marker. Goalie Kris Tebbs got credit for the second assist on the goal, which gave Texas the 1-0 lead.
The Gladiators got on the board about midway through the third period with an even-strength goal from Chad Denny at the 9:01 mark. Brad Schell won a face-off in the Gwinnett zone and slid the puck to Jamie Milam who fed Denny. Denny then fired a slap shot over the shoulder of Texas netminder Kris Tebbs for the goal. Milam and Schell picked up assists on the goal, Denny's fourth of the year.
Texas took back the lead less than thirty seconds later on a goal from John McNabb. McNabb took a pass from Riddle and fired a shot that rebounded off Kowalski's pads. McNabb, crashing the net then sent Kowalski head over heels and the bouncing puck snuck across the goal line. Riddle as well as Benedict got assists on the goal, which gave Texas a 2-1 lead at the 9:43 mark of the second period.
Neither team was able to muster any more scoring and the Wildcatters walked away with the 2-1 win. Kowalski made 25 saves in the contest as his record falls to 22-7-0-2.
Despite the loss, the Gladiators remain tied for second place in the ECHL's South Division as South Carolina lost to the Columbia Inferno and both team remain with 71 points on the season.
Gwinnett will not have to wait long to get a rematch of the game as the two team will meet again on Sunday afternoon at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. The puck will drop for that game at 4:05pm.
The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Sunday, March 2nd as they host the Texas Wildcatters at the Arena at Gwinnett Center at 4:05 p.m. Catch all the play-by-play action in Sunday's game 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.
Thursday
May 1st, 2025
12:59PM
