After the first 20 minutes, the score remained scoreless, despite numerous close calls on either end of the ice, and Recently signed forward Mike Bayrack had his first goal of the season disallowed after it was determined to be played with a high stick five minutes into the opening frame. Each team fired 16 shots on goal, but both Fred Doyle for Charlotte and Gwinnett's David Brown stood tall in net. Both squads went zero for two on the power play.
Matt Siddall was denied his first goal since a November 29th overtime loss at Charlotte on a breakaway three minutes into the second period when Ford robbed him with his glove in a sprawling save. But he would get on the goal sheet with an assist on Chad Denny's goal just one minute later. Denny picked up the puck near the top of the right circle and fired a low shot that trickled through the legs of Doyle and just across the goal line. Aaron Brocklehurst also picked up an assist on the goal.
But the Checkers evened the score at one just 3:21 later on a the power play after Brian Kaufman went off for hooking at 7:13 of the period. Charlotte needed just 12 seconds to find the back of the net, as Julien Brouillette lit the lamp on a shot from the point through traffic at the 7:25 mark. Michel Leveille and Tyler Doig picked up points on the play.
Drew Paris registered his first fighting major of his professional career at 13:07 after he took a slash from Charlotte's David Marshall and they dropped the gloves at center ice, but the score remained tied at one at the end of two periods, and the Checkers took a 31-28 margin in shots into the second intermission.
Mike Bayrack got his goal back at 8:49 of the third period, after some hard work out of the corner to put the Gladiators up 2-1. Matt Siddall earned his second assist of the night as he won the battle in the corner and stepped out for a shot near the bottom of the right face off circle. The rebound off Doyle deflected to the skates of Bayrack, and he was able to kick it onto his tape for a shot from inside the crease that was just out of the reach of Doyle for his first goal of the season.
Bayrack wasted no time notching his second goal of the night when he fired home a similar goal to his first just 3:22 later, giving the Gladiators a 3-1 third period lead. Matt Siddall earned his third assist of the night on the goal, and Sam Roberts also picked up a helper.
The Checkers cut the Gladiators' lead to just one on a Randy Rowe goal at 18:24 of the third, but Matt Francis notched his first professional goal just 18 seconds later with a nifty move when Bayrack set him up all alone in the Checkers' zone to make it 4-2.
Charlotte pulled Frank Doyle in favor of the extra skater for the final half minute, but Brown and the Gladiators were able to hold on down the strech to secure the win.
Brown earned his second win of the season, stopping 41 Checker shots, and Doyle made 36 saves in his first loss in a Charlotte uniform.
Gwinnett was held scoreless on the power play, going 0-6, while Julien Brouillette had the only power play strike for the Checkers in five tries.
The Gladiators made up some ground on the second place Checkers, improving to 11-6-2-1 on the season, while Charlotte falls to 12-6-1-1.
The Gladiators wrap up their home stand with a Wednesday night match up against the East Division's Trenton Devils at 7:05 p.m. before hitting the road for a five-game tour around the North and East Divisions prior to the holiday break.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/12/225307