Gladiators beat Checkers, clinch home ice in playoffs

CHARLOTTE - Jeff Campbell notched his 22nd goal of the season and also posted two assists to lead the Gwinnett Gladiators past the Charlotte Checkers 6-2 on Friday night at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. With the win, the Gladiators remain in sole possession of second place in the ECHL's South Division and have clinched home ice advantage in the first round of the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Gwinnett will open the Kelly Cup playoffs at the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:05 p.m. Game 2 will be on Thurday, April 10th at 7:05 p.m.

Blake Bellefeuille got the Checkers on the board with 2:31 left in the first peirod to break a scoreless tie. Sliding over the Gladiators blue line, Bellefeuille beat Gladiators netminder Dan Turple to the glove side. Turple got a piece of the puck but it deflected off the netminder's glove and into the back of the net for the marker. Chris Capraro posted an assist on the goal for the Checkers.

Bryson Busniuk equalized the contest on the power play with his 5th goal of the season. Parked along the goal line, Busniuk picked up a rebound along the goal line and ripped the puck past Charlotte netminder Chris Holt for the goal. Andy Brandt and Jeff Campbell collected the assists on the goal scored just 2:29 into the second period.

Charlotte regained the lead at 2-1 at 5:22 of the second period. Finding a loose puck in a pile up in front of the Gladiators net, Tom Pyatt slipped the puck past Turple for the marker. Kirk DeWaele and Lee Falardeau notched the assists on the goal for the Checkers.

Mike Hamilton tied the game at 2-2 just four minutes later for the Gladiators. Hamilton ripped a one-time slap shot past Holt at 9:15 of the second period from the right wing circle. Matt Anderson posted an assist on the goal digging the puck out of the corner and finding Hamilton wide open in the slot. The goal came at 9:15 of the second period.

Gwinnett took its first lead of the game on Jamie Milam's 13th goal of the season. Milam ripped a slapshot from the left wing point past Holt at 3:19 of the third period. Brad Schell collected the assist on the on the power play for Gwinnett

Matt Anderson gave the Gladiators a 4-2 lead on the Checkers at 7:09 of the third period. Tomas Pospisil collected an assist on the goal as the Gladiators moved into the Charlotte zone on an odd man rush to set up the marker. Hamilton also had an assist on the goal for Gwinnett.

Gwinnett took a 5-2 lead on the Checkers on Campbell's 22nd goal of the season. Sliding thorugh the slot, Campbell took a centering pass from Busniuk before slipping the puck past Holt for the marker. Schell also had an assist on the goal for Gwinnett at 13:45 of the third period. The marker came on the power play for Gwinnett.

Pospisil rounded out the scoring for the Gladiators with an unassisted goal for the Gladiators at 15:51 of the third period. Pospisil picked up a loose puck along the goal line and beat Holt to the short side to give Gwinnett a 6-2 lead.

Turple finished with 30 saves in the win for Gwinett. The Gladiators finished 3-for-6 on the power play in the win.

The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Saturday, March 22nd as they travel to Augusta to take on the Lynx at the James Brown Arena at 7:35 p.m. Catch all the play-by-play action in Saturday's game online via Accessnorthga.com on Streaming Channel 3.

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.