Fresh off a win against the Orlando Solar Bears, the Atlanta Gladiators are set to face one of their rivals, the Jacksonville Iceman. The Gladiators are eager to start a winning streak after a few tough losses. In their last game, they showcased remarkable teamwork, with a few standout performances, all of which they aim to replicate in this upcoming clash. The Jacksonville Iceman are equally driven, determined to defend their home ice and deliver a strong performance. With the home crowd behind them, the Iceman are focused on bouncing back from their recent challenges and proving themselves as a tough competitor.
Starting Lines – Atlanta
- Defensemen: Dylan Carabia, Derek Topatigh
- Forwards: Randy Hernández, Cody Sylvester, Jackson Pierson
- Goalie: Drew DeRidder
Starting Lines – Jacksonville
- Defensemen: Noah Laaouan, Garrett Van Whye
- Forwards: Davis Koch, Logan Cockerill, Brendan Harris
- Goalie: Justen Close
Period 1
In the first period at just 3:12 in to the period, Ty Cheveldayoff from Jacksonville netted the opening goal, thanks to a deflected pass, with an assist from Garrett Van Wyhe. Randy Hernández aimed to score his first professional goal, but Close denied him. PJ Fletcher attempted a shot as well, only to have it hit the crossbar, causing the puck to veer off its course.
Later, at 17:42, Chris Grando scored a power play goal, assisted by Liam Coughlin and Davis Koch, following a tripping penalty assessed to Atlanta’s Brenden Datema at 16:08. Jacksonville’s goalie, Justen Close made 12 saves, while Atlanta’s Drew DeRidder managed to save 11 out of the 13 shots that the Gladiators sent his way this period.
- Scoring:
- Jacksonville:
- 3:12 – T. Cheveldayoff (assisted by G. Van Wyhe)
- 17:42 – C. Grando (assisted by L. Coughlin and D. Koch) [Power Play]
- Jacksonville:
- Shots:
- Atlanta: 12
- Jacksonville: 13
- Penalties:
- Atlanta:
- 16:08 – B. Datema (Tripping, 2 minutes)
- Atlanta:
- Power Plays:
- Atlanta: 0/1
- Jacksonville: 1/1
Period 2
The game featured multiple plays as Christian Hausinger passed to Pierson, whose shot was blocked after deflecting off Hernández. Topatigh sent the puck deep into the Gladiators’ zone, while Marchesan lost possession, allowing Jarvis to shoot, but Tischke cleared the attempt. Brody Crane and Boyer defended well, with Jarvis almost deflecting the puck into the Iceman bench. Chukarov and Calisti advanced the puck, but Grando turned it over near the net.
Cipollone and Denomie attempted to respond, but the puck escaped past the blue line. Lang faced Hanzel one-on-one, but his shot was blocked by Galloway. Armstrong lost his helmet, allowing the Iceman to gain possession, with Yoder stopping their advance. Pierson passed to Carabia, whose shot was blocked, leading to an icing call. With 16:21 remaining, Van Wyhe took control and sent the puck in, leading to a series of strong passes involving Hernández and Pierson.
Denomie passed to Cipollone, who missed, allowing Zach Jordan to assist Lang as the Iceman maintained a 2-0 lead with 12:40 left in the second period. Galloway cleared the puck, while the Gladiators struggled offensively. A missed pass by McRae and a blocked shot by DeRidder hampered their efforts. Yoder sent the puck deep into Jacksonville’s zone, but a shot from Van Whye was saved, sustaining the Iceman’s lead. With 7:17 left, Jacksonville received a power play after Pierson was penalized, but the Gladiators successfully defended, and the period ended 2-0 in favor of the Icemen.
Scoring: None
- Shots:
- Atlanta: 7
- Jacksonville: 6
- Penalties:
- Atlanta:
- 12:43 – J. Pierson (Holding, 2 minutes)
- Atlanta:
- Power Plays:
- Atlanta: 0/1
- Jacksonville: 0/1
Period 3
The third period commenced with the Gladiators eager to regain control. For the Icemen, who have predominantly steered the game’s pace, their goal was to maintain their momentum and conclude the match with a victory at home.
The game saw intense back-and-forth action as Cody Sylvester’s pass to Randy Hernandez missed, leading to a series of plays where Jackson Pearson sent the puck in, and Van Whye and Brendan Harris worked to move it forward. Andrew Jarvis and Ryan Cranford defended for the Gladiators, while Christopher Brown led an odd-man rush for the Iceman, only to be thwarted by a save. Connor Galloway and his teammates tried to capitalize on a power play but struggled against the Iceman’s strong defense. The Gladiators continued to push for a comeback, but the Iceman’s defense held firm.
Later, Calisti’s shot is stopped by DeRidder, but the rebound is picked up by Brown, who scores to make it 3-0 for the Iceman. The goal was assisted by Tischke and Coughlin. Despite a diving effort by DeRidder and Jarvis, Brown found the open net. The Iceman continue to dominate, with Sylvester and Pierson creating more opportunities. Cheveldayoff contributes to the pressure on Atlanta and the Gladiators struggle to clear the puck. Van Whye and Jordan kept the puck in the Gladiators’ zone, and Iceman maintain their strong defensive play, preventing the Gladiators from mounting a comeback.
Later in the game, Jordan extended the lead to 4-0 with a flawlessly executed wrist shot that hit the top corner past DeRidder, with an assist from Lang and Chukarov. Scored at 11:05 in the third period, this goal highlighted the Iceman’s commanding performance, leaving the Gladiators struggling to keep pace.
Before the end of regulation, the Icemen added yet another goal, with Justin McRae finding the net at 16:20. Cheveldayoff and Hampton on the assist. Despite the Gladiators’ best efforts, the Iceman’s solid defense and goaltending remained unbeatable, securing a shutout and concluding the game with a commanding 5-0 victory for Jacksonville.
Jacksonville’s goalie, Close, made 28 saves to secure his first pro shutout, while DeRidder of Atlanta faced 34 shots and saved 29.
Scoring:
Jacksonville:
- 7:20 – C. Brown (assisted by P. Tischke and L. Coughlin)
- 11:05 – Z. Jordan (assisted by I. Chukarov and C. Lang)
- 16:30 – J. McRae (assisted by T. Cheveldayoff and J. Hampton)
- Shots:
- Atlanta: 9
- Jacksonville: 15
- Penalties:
- Jacksonville:
- 3:11 – J. McRae (Holding, 2 minutes)
- 11:49 – J. McRae (Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 2 minutes)
- Atlanta:
- 17:15 – C. Galloway (Tripping, 2 minutes)
- 17:17 – J. Boyer (Delay of Game, 2 minutes)
- Jacksonville:
- Power Plays:
- Atlanta: 0/2
- Jacksonville: 0/2
Game Notes
Jacksonville had a dominant performance against Atlanta, winning 5-0 at home.
Overall Scoring Summary:
- Jacksonville scored twice in the first period and added three more goals in the third period.
- Goals were scored by T. Cheveldayoff, C. Grando, C. Brown, Z. Jordan, and J. McRae.
- Three Stars of the Game:
- J. Close (Jacksonville) – First professional shutout.
- T. Cheveldayoff (Jacksonville) – Scored a goal and had an assist.
- L. Coughlin (Jacksonville) – Contributed two assists.
- Shots on Goal:
- Atlanta: 28
- Jacksonville: 34
- Power Plays:
- Atlanta: 0/4
- Jacksonville: 1/4
- Penalties:
- Atlanta had 8 penalty minutes.
- Jacksonville had 4 penalty minutes.
