Jeff Campbell notched his 19th goal of the season to give Gwinnett a 1-0 lead on the Lynx just 5:30 into the first period. Trailing an odd man rush, Campbell picked up a loose puck just inside the top of the right wing face off circle and ripped a slap shot over the shoulder of Augusta netminder Gerald Coleman for the goal. Guillaume Desbiens and Brad Schell posted the assists on the marker for Gwinnett.
Gwinnett took a 2-0 lead on Augusta with just 43 seconds left in the first period. Chad Denny took a backhanded centering pass in the slot from Brad Schell and beat Coleman for the shorthanded marker. Shell worked into the Augusta zone on the penalty kill and ran out of room along the back dasherboards before flicking the puck into the slot to a waiting Denny to set up the goal.
In the second, the Gladiators buckled down defensively as they were outshot 19-2 in the middle stanza. Gladiators netminder Craig Kowalski kept the contest 2-0 in favor of Gwinnett through the second period turning aside all 19 Lynx shots.
Augusta got back within a goal at 5:40 of the third period. Chase Watson deflected the puck in the slot past Kowalski to get the Lynx within a goal. B.J. Crum picked up an assist on the marker as his slapshot from the left wing point was deflected by Watson for the goal.
In an effort to tie the game, Augusta pulled Coleman in favor of an extra attacker but could get no closer as Gwinnett held on for the 2-1 win. Kowalski finished with 44 saves in the victory for Gwinnett. The Gladiators also finished 0-for-3 in the win on the power play.
The Gladiators continue their fifth anniversary season on Tuesday, March 11th as they travel to Augusta to take on the Augusta Lynx at the James Brown Memorial Coliseum at 7:05 p.m. Catch all the play-by-play action in Tuesday's game online via Accessnorthga.com audio 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.
Jeff Campbell
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/3/207850