The Gladiators got out on top of the Nailers in the first period on Mike Hamilton's fifteenth goal of the season at the 12:13 mark. With the teams skating four-on-four, Matt Anderson skated across the blue line and towards the Wheeling crease, setting himself up for a shot. Just before he pulled the trigger on his own shot, Anderson dished across the crease to Hamilton who jammed it in from point blank range. Anderson picked up the lone assist on the even-strength goal.
Wheeling answered early in the second period with an even-strength goal from Kevin Croxton. Croxton collected a rebound from his own shot and slipped the puck into an empty corner of the Gwinnett net for the marker to even the score at one. Assists on the play at the 2:23 mark in the second went to B.J. Radovich and Chris Brooks.
For the second straight night, Wheeling's goals came in bunches as the Nailers added another tally less than 30 seconds later. Joe Guenther's even strength marker at the 2:46 point gave the Nailers a 2-1 lead. Guenther was unassisted on the goal.
The Gladiators evened the contest before the end of the second stanza. Myles Stoesz netted his fourth goal of the season at the 12:45 mark of the period to tie the game at 2. Streaking through the slot, Stoesz took a centering feed from Bryson Busniuk and found the back of the net from the corner of the crease. Busniuk and Stuart MacRae got assists on the even-strength goal.
Gwinnett took back the lead a minute and a half later with a power play goal from Ryan Mahrle. Mahrle fired a slap shot from the left wing circle that got through Darling and into the Wheeling net, giving the Gladiators the 3-2 lead. Tomas Pospisil got an assist on the goal and MacRae picked up his second helper of the contest.
Mike Hamilton added to the Gwinnett lead in the waning seconds of the second period. Hamilton's tally at the 19:55 mark of the period pushed the Gladiators' lead to 4-2. Andy Brandt took the puck off a Wheeling stick and passed ahead to Hamilton who beat Darling for the Gwinnett marker for his second score of the game. Brandt picked up the assist on the marker.
Wheeling chipped a goal off the Gwinnett lead in the third period. B.J. Radovich netted the even-strength goal for the Nailers at the 3:46 point of the final period. Kevin Croxton and Joe Guenther picked up assists on the goal that made the score 4-3.
With the Wheeling goalie pulled in favor of an extra attacker, Gwinnett capitalized for an empty net marker. Mike Hamilton dug a puck off of the boards at the top of the right wing circle on the Gwinnett side and skated the length of the ice toward the empty Wheeling net. Hamilton's shot was turned away by a Wheeling skater, but Andy Brandt was right there to collect the rebound and jam home the empty net marker at the 18:59 point of the third period. Hamilton as well as Jamie Milam picked up the assists on the goal, Brandt's eleventh of the year.
Craig Kowalski made 24 saves in the contest, collecting his third straight win and pushing his season record to 17-5-1.
The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Sunday, February 10th as they host the Columbia Inferno at the Arena at Gwinnett Center at 4:05 p.m. Catch all the play-by-play action in Sunday'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.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/2/206776