Atlanta Trumps Orlando 4-3

Taking on the Solar Bears in a Sunday matinee tilt, the Gladiators looked to avenge last night’s loss in Orlando and head home with two points. They’d do both in the Amway Center this afternoon, with a 4-3 victory over the Bears. Orlando opened up the scoring 11:05 into the first period on a shorthanded tally by Brady Vail. The Florida native notched his seventh goal of the year with a quick shot off a drop pass from Eric Faille. The assist was the University of Moncton products ninth of the year.The Gladiators bounced back and tied the game at 1-1 with a powerplay goal from Max Everson. The rookie got his fifth tally of the year after taking a slap shot from the point that was redirected off an Orlando player and into the back of the net. J.T. Barnett received his third helper of the year on the goal, and Mike Merrifield was credited with his seventh on the secondary assist.After a scoreless second period, Thomas Frazee put Atlanta in front 2-1 two minutes into the third frame. The North Vancouver, BC native scored his fourth goal of the year on a shot from the right circle that sailed past the glove of Solar Bears goaltender Ryan Massa. Matt Register got his first point as a Gladiator with an assist on the play.The Gladiators doubled their lead 7:43 into the final period on Thomas Frazees second goal of the night. Cole Martin took a shot from the point that was redirected in front of the net by Derick Nesbitt and landed right in by the Lakehead University alum at the near post, who put the puck into the back of the net. Martin was credited with his first point as a Gladiator with the assist, and the Atlanta captain notched his ninth helper as well.Only 27 seconds after the Frazee goal, Daniel Bahntge put the Gladiators up 4-1 with his third marker of the year. The rookie poked a bouncing puck through the legs of Massa after Brock Higgs took a shot off the face off in the Atlanta offensive zone. Higgs got his seventh assist on the play.Orlando cut the lead to two 11:27 into the third on Matt Ruperts fifth goal of the year. The 21-year-old forward put in a rebound after Gladiators goalie Kent Patterson made three saves on the original attempts by Jack Rodewald and Ryan Rupert.Ryan Rupert brought the home team back within one with just three and a half minutes remaining in the game. The Ohio native scored the powerplay goal for the Solar Bears by finishing a tic-tac-toe play with Brad Richard and Jack Rodewald. Richard and Rodewald were credited with their sixth and thirteenth assists on the year, respectively. Holding off a barrage of shots in the dying moments of the game, the Gladiators held on to defeat Orlando 4-3. Atlanta improved to 11-8-1-0 with the win, and now sits at eighth place in the Eastern conference with 23 points.The Solar Bears dropped to 9-7-1-3 on the season with 22 points, putting them in ninth place in the East.