COLUMBIA - Brad Schell finished with a pair of goals to help the Gwinnett Gladiators to a 4-2 win over the Columbia Inferno on Thursday night at the Carolina Coliseum. With the win, the Gladiators improve to 35-18-2-3 on the season and move back into a tie for second place with the idle South Carolina Stingrays. Both teams now have 75 points in a tie for second place in the South Division.
Schell gave the Gladiators a 1-0 lead on Columbia half way through the first period with his 5th goal of the season. Wide open along the right wing boards, Schell took a rink wide pass from Guillaume Desbiens and beat Columbia netminder Todd Ford on a breakaway for the marker. Ryan Mahrle also had an assist on the goal at 10:35 of the first period moving the puck up the wing to Desbiens.
Gwinnett took a 2-0 lead on the Inferno at 14:06 of the first period. Mike Hamilton was able to throw the puck off the back of Ford from a bad angle and the puck deflected into the back of the net for Hamilton's 19th goal of the season. Andy Brandt and Chad Painchaud hooked up to pick up the assists on the goal for Gwinnett.
Columbia answered just 25 seconds later. Brad Ralph slipped out of a pile up along the left wing boards and walked untouched in the slot before ripping a shot past Gladiators netmidner Criag Kowalski for the marker. Jeremy Schenderling collected an assist on the Inferno goal at 14:31 of the first period.
Fussey equalized the contest with the only goal of the second period. Finding a reboud in the slot, Fussey corralled the puck and flicked it past Kowalski for the marker at 13:50 of the second period. Brad Ralph and Schenderling collected the assists on the goal for Columbia.
Gwinnett regained the lead just 3:08 into the third period. Brandt picked up his own rebound in the slot and slipped the puck past Ford for the go-ahead goal for Gwinnett. Chad Painchaud and Bryson Busniuk collected the assists on the goal for the Gladiators.
Schell added an insurance goal for Gwinnett at the 9:54 mark of the third period giving Gwinnett a 4-2 lead on Columbia. Schell picked up the marker on the power play goal as he won an offensive zone draw right to Jamie Milam were the defenseman ripped a slap shot that Schell deflected past Ford for the goal.
Kowalski finished with 26 saves for Gwinnett in the win, his 23rd of the season for Gwinnett. Gwinnett finished 1-for-2 on the power play in the win for Gwinnett.
The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Saturday, March 8th as they host the Augusta Lynx at the Arena at Gwinnett Center at 7:35 p.m. Catch all the play-by-play action in Saturday'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
10:01PM
