Glads Sign Merrifield, Bahntge

The Gladiators announced Tuesday that they have agreed to terms with Forwards Mike Merrifield and Daniel Bahntge (pronounced BAN-sha) for 2015-2016. The upcoming season will mark Merrifields third with the team and Bahntges first full year as a rookie. Merrifield missed most of last season with an injury suffered during the Glads home opening weekend in October. The Michigan native would return to the line-up in March, however, and go on to finish the year with 8 points (5g, 3A) in 20 games played. Merrifield joined the organization via a trade deal with the Florida Everblades in March of 2014, in the midst of a successful season where he totaled 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 total points. Last year was a bit of a wash for me, said Merrifield. Plus, it definitely wasnt the kind of season we as a team wanted to have. This year will be a big change. I believe in what Coach Brandt is doing, and I want to be a part of it. Bahntge signed a contract with the Gladiators in March of this year after wrapping up his senior season with the Mercyhurst Lakers. He would appear in eight games with Gwinnett, tallying two goals and three assists before the end of the season. The 24 year old was Mercyhursts leading scorer last year as well, notching nearly a point per game (13g, 23a in 39 gp). Overall, Bahntge scored 52 goals and 75 assists in 161 collegiate games played. Daniel came in last year and impressed everyone with his style of play, said Gladiators Head Coach Andy Brandt. He is an extremely well-rounded player that is not only defensively reliable, but also possesses the ability to make key plays and produce offensively. The Gladiators are set to drop the puck on their 13th season at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in October 2015. For ticket information, visit the official team website at www.gwinnettgladiators.com or call the main office line at 770-497-5100.The Gladiators are members of the ECHL, the nations premier AA hockey league, and are affiliated with the Boston Bruins of the NHL. All home games are played at the 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth where parking is always free. The Gladiators have established an unrivaled commitment to excellence, maintaining a distinctive reputation for affordable and family-friendly sports entertainment and consistently ranked as one of the top Things To Do in the Atlanta area and across the North Georgia region.For all the latest team news, contests, and more visit GwinnettGladiators.com, or like the Gladiators on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GwinnettGladiators), follow the team on Twitter (www.twitter.com/GWTGladiators), Instagram (www.instagram.com/gwtgladiators) or Snapchat (https://www.snapchat.com) at gladshockey . -###-