Friday night, the Atlanta Gladiators clashed once more against the South Carolina Stingrays, this time as they headed into enemy territory. Fresh off a loss to the Gladiators last weekend (4-2), the Stingrays were fired up and ready to strike back against the team that took them down just days before. The Gladiators, however, were on the cusp of matching the franchise’s 1999-2000 record with another triumph, extending their current winning streak. The Gladiators did not seem to show any signs of slowing down.
It would be barely over six minutes into the first period before the red-hot Gladiators struck first with a shot by Ryan Cranford into the net of the Stingrays, with a lead-in pass by Michael Marchesan, who successfully battled to get the puck out front. Cranford hits it home past the Stingray goalie Garin Bjorklund. Jackson Pierson gets the assist on the play. After that, it would be a back-and-forth battle, with both goalies putting up their respective solid steel barriers. The goaltenders’ impressive performance persisted, featuring a remarkable save by Tyler Harmon that prevented a Stingrays breakaway goal attempt. Both goaltenders exhibited exceptional resilience in the second period, preserving a 1-0 scoreline as we entered the final period.
Speechless😶 pic.twitter.com/jCUZo7CwjJ
— ECHL (@ECHL) November 11, 2023
During the third frame, South Carolina’s Josh Wilkins managed to break Tyler Harmon’s shutout bid, tying the game at 1-1 and resulting in overtime play. Shortly into overtime, Luke Prokop scored the game-winning goal 4 minutes into OT, granting Atlanta a 2-1 victory. The decisive goal was a result of a fortuitous bounce off Mitch Fossier’s shot, which found Prokop in front of the Stingrays’ net, allowing him to bank his second goal of the season. The Gladiators’ unbeaten streak remained as they prepared to face off in Jacksonville against the Icemen on Saturday night.
The Gladiators would go on the offensive quickly against the Icemen. At 5:50 into the first period, the Gladiators secured the initial lead of the game with a goal from Mitch Fossier, his sixth goal of the season. Despite being shorthanded, Fossier executed a breakaway, going from backhand to forehand before finishing with a top-shelf shot. Jackson Pierson gets credit for the assist. Towards the end of the first period, Atlanta increased their lead to 2-0 (17:25). Mitch Fossier delivered a between-the-legs pass to Reece Vitelli, who then promptly found Micah Miller in front of the net. Miller now with his sixth goal of the season.
Reece Vitelli (5:06) gave the Gladiators some serious airtime in the second period with a super smooth move as he scooped up a rebound right in front of Jacksonville’s net. With the greatest of ease, he knocked in his fourth goal of the season as we headed into the final frame, 3-0.
At the onset of the third period, the Icemen slipped one past Tyler Harmon. The goal scored by Stingrays’ Anthony Petruzzelli just 37 seconds into the period, brought the score to 3-1. At the 5:38 mark, Atlanta re-established their three-goal advantage, with Ryan Cranford converting a goal courtesy of a Michael Marchesan assist. The Icemen narrowed the Gladiators’ lead to two points with Stingray Chris Grando’s successful shot on goal which brought the score to 4-2 (8:10). In the last moments of the game, the Gladiators secured a 5-2 lead with an empty net goal at 19:57. Micah Miller’s second goal of the evening, and seventh of the season, contributed to the score, securing Atlanta’s victory as he effortlessly sent the puck into the wide-open Jacksonville net.
The Gladiators wrapped up their road trip with two impressive victories. Goalkeeper Tyler Harmon was instrumental in securing the wins, making an impressive 71 saves out of 74 shot attempts. The franchise’s recent triumph is a significant milestone for the Gladiators, establishing a new record for the most successive wins at the beginning of a season (8-0-0).
On Tuesday, November 14th, the Atlanta Gladiators return to home ice at Gas South Arena to face the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Hold onto your sticks, folks, as the puck drops at 10:30 AM for yet another adrenaline-packed game!
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