For the second straight night the Gladiators fell behind early as Mississippi put up the first points just 1:11 into the contest. An even strength marker from Lance Monych put the Sea Wolves up 1-0. Mark Rooneem and Jason Tejchma got credit for the helpers on the goal.
The Sea Wolves added to their lead just over a minute later. Travis Lisabeth picked up a Gwinnett turnover near the blue line and walked in beating Gladiators goaltender Dan Turple for the unassisted marker. The even strength goal at 2:42 of the first period gave the Sea Wolves a 2-0 lead.
Gwinnett answered with 18.7 seconds left in the period. Stuart MacRae tallied the even-strength goal for the Gladiators. Jamie Milam fired a slap shot from the point that Bryson Busniuk deflected to MacRae who deflected it past Sea Wolf net-minder Morgan Cey. Milam and Busniuk got the assists on the goal, MacRae's fourth of the year.
MacRae collected his second goal of the contest just 1:42 into the second period, pulling Gwinnett even with the Sea Wolves. With the Gladiators on a power play as a result of a Mississippi penalty at the end of the first stanza, MacRae camped in the slot and jammed a loose puck past Cey for the marker to knot the game at two. Jeff Mason and Mike Hamilton each picked up a helper on the goal.
Mississippi retook the lead at the 7:39 mark of the second. Travis Lisabeth fired a shot to Gwinnett goaltender Turple's glove side that sailed over Turple's outstretched leg and found the back of the net. Mark Hurtubise got the assist on the even strength marker putting the Sea Wolves up 3-2.
The Gladiators pulled back even before the end of the second period. With the teams skating four on four and a pileup behind the Gwinnett net, Busniuk and Andy Brandt led a two-on-one breakaway. Busniuk fed Brandt in the right wing slot and Brandt flipped the puck over Cey's left shoulder for the Gwinnett marker. Busniuk picked up his second helper of the game on the goal coming at the 17:44 mark of the second period.
In the third period, Mississippi took back the lead with an even-strength goal from Matt Deschamps. Deschamps' marker came at the 7:16 mark of the second period. He was assisted by Lance Monych and Chis Cava.
The Sea Wolves pushed their lead to two on a shorthanded goal by Mark Rooneem less than a minute later. Jason Tejchma collected a Gwinnett turnover and moved down the ice on a breakaway. Tejchma dropped the puck off to Rooneem who flicked it over Turple's shoulder for the Mississippi marker at the 8:36 mark of the third period.
Gwinnett pulled to within one with less than a minute left in the game on an even-strength goal by Lou Dickenson. With Gwinnett goalie Dan Turple pulled in favor of an extra attacker, Dickenson took a pass in the slot and beat Cey for the marker, Dickenson's team-leading 16th of the year. Matt Anderson and Jeff Campbell got the assists on the goal at the 19:28 mark of the final period.
Campbell's assist kept him tied for the league lead in assists with 39 on the season and Dan Turple finished with 22 saves to bring his record to 11-6-2-1 on the season. With the loss, the Gladiators fall to 22-11-2-2 overall on the year.
The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Monday, January 21st as the Gladiators host the Columbia Inferno at the Arena at Gwinnett Center with a special 12:30 p.m. start time. Catch all the play-by-play action in Monday's game online via AccessNorthGa.com audio stream 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.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/1/205994