JACKSONVILLE, Fla – Saturday night, the Jacksonville Icemen faced the currently undefeated Atlanta Gladiators. Jacksonville held their Mental Health Awareness Night, sporting specialty jersey’s that were auctioned off post-game. Atlanta continued their win streak, with a 5-2 victory over Jacksonville, to go 8-0-0 to start the season.
Atlanta’s Mitchell Fossier netted the first goal of the night, on a shorthanded breakaway for the teams fifth shorthanded goal of the season, early into the first period. Mycah Miller put the Gladiators up 2-0 at the 17:25 mark, on a perfect pass from Reece Vitelli, to end the first period.
During the second period, Jacksonville outshot Atlanta 17 to 9, but it was Reece Vitelli, who tapped in a blacked shot by Icemen netminder Michael Houser, to Atlanta’s tally and put them up 3-0. Tempers frayed with the Icemen’s Connor Russell dropping the gloves with the Gladiators, Michael Marchesan.
The Icemen started the third period on the power play, carried over from the second period. Anthony Petruzzelli snapped a shot past the Atlanta goaltender to make it a two goal game, and end a shutout bid for Tyler Harmon. Atlanta would answer back five minutes later on a goal from Ryan Cranford, for a 4-1 advantage. Jacksonville continued to battle hard, with Chris Grando tipping in a shot from Brandon Fortunato, to make it 4-2. With Jacksonville opting to pull their netminder for the extra attacker, Mycah Miller would score an empty-netter, for his second of the night, and seal the victory for the Gladiators.
Check out this photo gallery from Inside The Rink’s Andrew Fielder, for highlights from the game.
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