The win was Kowalski's third win of the season against his old mates as the Clinton Township, MI native is 3-0 against Florida this season.
Through the first period of play, neither the Gladiators nor the Everblades could muster a score. Florida out-shot Gwinnett by a 13-10 margin while both teams were unsuccessful on the power play. Gwinnett was 0-for-2 on the man advantage and Florida was scoreless in one power play try.
Florida got on the board first with an even-strength goal just 1:33 into the second period. With a pile-up in front of the Gwinnett net, Mathhieu Melanson sent a centering feed towards the crease where it bounced off a couple of sticks before finally finding the back of the Gwinnett net. Preston Callendar got credit for the goal while Melanson and David Cornacchia picked up assists on the marker which put Florida up 1-0.
The Gladiators answered with an even-strength goal from Jeff Mason at the 6:08 mark. With the teams skating 4-on-4 and the Gladiators cycling the puck around in the Florida zone, Mason took a pass and fired a slap shot through bodies that found its way past Florida net-minder Kevin Nastiuk for the Gwinnett marker. Schell and Jeff Campbell got assists on the goal, Mason's fifth of the season.
The cheers that followed Mason's goal were replaced by silence not long after as a collision away from the puck sent Guillaume Desbiens crumpling to the ice bleeding from his head. As Gladiators and Everblades alike scrambled to their benches and Gwinnett medical personnel rushed to the ice, the stunned crowd looked on in silence. Desbiens eventually sat up and was wheeled off on a stretcher with a concussion and a gash on his head.
The Gladiators got their minds back on hockey and the mood picked up as Bryson Busniuk netted his fourth goal of the season at the 16:42 mark of the second. After a Milam slap shot from the right wing point, Busniuk was waiting in just the right place at the opposite corner of the crease to collect the rebound and jam it home for the power play marker. Milam and Campbell picked up assists on the play as Gwinnett took a 2-1 lead.
Gwinnett would add another goal less than a half a minute later with an even-strength marker from Tomas Pospisil at the 17:04 mark of the second. Pospisil picked up a dump pass from Matt Anderson in the neutral zone and danced through the Florida defense before flicking the puck over Nastiuk's shoulder, and giving Gwinnett a 3-1 lead in the process. Matt Anderson and Ryan Mahrle picked up helpers on the goal, Pospisil's fifteenth of the season.
Gwinnett added another goal late in the third period as Mike Hamilton's twentieth goal of the season at the 18:21 mark gave Gwinnett the 4-1 lead. Hamilton, parked at the left corner of the crease, took a pass from Matt Anderson behind the net and jammed it home for the Gwinnett marker. Anderson and Pospisil both picked up their second assist of the game on the power play goal.
Florida was unable to answer and the Gladiators skated away with a 4-1 win. Kowalski made 46 saves in the win, pushing his season record to 26-9-0-2 on the season and keeping his hold on the league lead in wins.
The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Friday, March 21st as they travel to Charlotte to take on the Checkers at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena at 7:35 p.m. Catch all the play-by-play action in Fridday's game online via Accessnorthga.com
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.
