Greenville added to a 3-2 lead late in the third, as Sean Berkstresser beat Gwinnett goalie Jeff Jakaitis to make it a 4-2 game at 15:34. With their backs against the wall, Gwinnett responded.
Just 18 seconds later Bryan Brutlag notched his tenth goal of the season with Joey Haddad (two goals, one assist) picking up the helper. Haddad fed Brutlag on the far side and the Gwinnett forward got a shot off as he fell and beat Greenville keeper Jason Missiaen. The Glads completed the comeback with just 37 seconds left in regulation.
A bouncing puck in the zone ended up on the stick of Justin Milo, and he put his sixth goal of the season past Missiaen to tie the game at four. Brutlag and Nikita Kashirsky had the assists, and the game was forced to overtime.
A Cullen Eddy penalty in OT gave the Glads a man advantage, but Marc-Olivier Vallerand broke in all-alone on Jakaitis off a giveaway looking for a hat trick. He was then hauled down from behind for a penalty shot, but Jakaitis stopped Vallerand with the blocker to keep Gwinnett alive.
Greenville's Connor Shields then forced another giveaway for a breakaway, and this time beat Jakaitis to seal a 5-4 Road Warriors OT win. It was the Gladiators seventh OT loss of the season, all coming on the road.
Jakaitis stopped 27 shots while Missiaen got the win making 32 saves.
The lone goal of the first period came off a fantastic play between Gwinnett forwards Aaron Bendickson and Joey Haddad. Bendickson lifted a pass from the near boards in the neutral zone and put it right on the stick of Haddad, who had snuck behind the Warriors defense and broke in on goal for a breakaway. Haddad then deked far side and lifted the puck over Missiaen for his 13th goal of the season to put the Glads up 1-0 at 12:48. Andy Brandt also had an assist on the play.
The second period saw a flurry of offensive chances, and the Warriors tied the game at one at 3:45 as Marc-Olivier Vallerand buried his 21st of the season. Gwinnett answered at 7:38, as Cody Brookwell and Brandt setup Haddad with a centering pass and the forward tallied his second goal of the night for a 2-1 Glads edge.
Greenville again came back to tie at 8:49 of the second on the power play after a questionable call on Nikita Kashirsky, with Vallerand scoring his second goal of the night. Defenseman Cullen Eddy then put the Warriors ahead at 19:12 to give Greenville a 3-2 advantage into the third.
The Gladiators next head home for a Thursday battle with the Elmira Jackals at 7:05 p.m.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/1/245184