Kris Vernarsky scored twice as the Florida Everblades tallied 4 third period goals to come-from-behind and beat the Gwinnett Gladiators.
Kris Vernarsky clanked the puck off the cross bar in the final round of the shootout giving Gwinnett a 4-3 win in Friday's game but redeemed himself for the Everblades scoring the game's first goal 44 seconds into the first period on Saturday night. Venarsky slipped past the Gladiators defense and beat netminder Simon Lajeunesse on a breakaway as Ryan Brindley and Brent McDonald added the assists on the goal.
A little over a minute later, Jim Jackson tied the game up at one rolling the puck down the back of Florida goaltender Craig Kowalski from a bad angle along the goal line. Alex Sawruk picked up an assist on the goal at 2:01 of the first period tapping the puck off the wall to a waiting Jackson at the point.
Jeff Campbell pulled the puck out of a pile up in front of the Florida net and ripped a shot on the ice past an outstretched Kowalski at 14:15 of the first period to give Gwinnett a 2-1 lead. Ryan Van Buskirk and Brad Schell picked up the assists on the goal.
Peter Flache extended the Gladiators lead to 3-1 placing the puck in the net with a backhand over the shoulder of Kowalski on a breakaway 2:30 into the second period. Flache picked up the unassisted goal tapping it out of the Gladiators zone and sprinting past the Florida defense on the break.
Florida rattled off three straight goals in two minutes early in the third period to take a 4-3 lead just 4:40 into the third period. Brad Church got things going for Florida ripping a centering feed past Lajeunuesse 2:58 into third period. Surma and Trembley added the assists on the Everblades goal.
Brent McDonald rolled the puck past Lajeunesse from the off wing to tie the game at 3-3 just 50 seconds after Church's tally. Reggie Berg and Ryan Brindley added the assists on the goal for Florida.
Florida took the lead as Damian Surma walked down the left wing and ripped a shot over the shoulder of Lajeunesse to give the Everblades the 4-3 lead. Matt Hendricks and Simon Tremblay added the assists on the goal for the Everblades at 4:40 of the final period.
Vernarsky put the game away with 48 seconds left in the third period with an empty net goal as the Gladiators pulled Lajeunesse in favor of an extra attacker. Reggie Berg and Tim O'Connell added the assists on the goal.
Lajeunesse made 25 saves in the loss as the Gladiators fall to 20-13-6 on the season in the loss as both teams went scoreless on the power play.
The Central Division Champion Gwinnett Gladiators continue their second season at the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Friday, January 28th against the Columbia Inferno at 7:35 p.m.
The Gladiators offer several ticket packages for different needs as well as group outings, suites and birthday parties. For more information call 770-497-5100 or log on to www.gwinnettgladiators.com.
The Gladiators play all 36 home games at the Arena at Gwinnett Center located on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth and are the AA affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers.
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