The Gladiators got on the board midway through the first period. Tomas Posisil, in the high slot, took a pass from Lou Dickenson and fired a shot past Pensacola's netminder, Cam Ellsworth for the power play marker. The goal was Pospisil's fourth of the season and Dickenson as well as Jeff Campbell picked up assists for Gwinnett.
Pensacola answered just two minutes later. With Gwinnett in the waning seconds of a power play, Joel Stepp picked up a loose puck and fed Bryan McGregor on a breakaway. Despite being tripped up, McGregor was able to beat Gwinnett goalie Dan Turple on the glove side for the even strength Ice Pilot goal.
The two teams traded power pay chances in the second period, but neither team was able to put up any points. Gwinnett outshot the Ice Pilots 15-7 in the second frame, but the Gladiators could not find the back of the net.
Gwinnett took the lead early in the third stanza. Dickenson fired a shot at the Pensacola goaltender Ellsworth from the left wing circle that caromed off Ellsworth's stick side leg pad and found the back of the net. Jeff Campbell picked up his second assist of the night on the goal and Pospisil added his second point with an assist on the goal which was Dickenson's thirteenth of the year.
The Gladiators added an insurance goal at the 10:44 point in the third period on Matt Anderson's fourth goal as a Gladiator. Anderson, crossing in front of the goal, took a centering feed from Mike Hamilton and jammed it home to give Gwinnett a 2-goal lead on the even strength marker.
Dan Turple stopped 18 of 19 shots for the Gladiators in the 3-1 win to improve his record to 11-5-1-1 on the season.
The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Saturday, January 12th as they host the Pensacola Ice Pilots at the Arena at Gwinnett Center at 7:35 p.m. Catch all the play-by-play action in Friday's game via AccessRadio on 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.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/1/205709