Glads Sweep Wings, Win 5-3

Thanks in part to a three point night from Patrick D’Amico and a two point night from Tyler Murovich, the Gladiators earned a 5-3 victory Saturday in Kalamazoo. With their sweep of the K-Wings, Atlanta now heads to Fort Wayne to wrap up this week-long roadtrip on Monday night. The Gladiators opened up the scoring in their fourth straight game with a goal from Max Everson, 4:43 into the first period. The product of Harvard University added to his career high on goals with his seventh of the year on a shot from the point that hit off Kalamazoo defenseman Cory Pitz in front of the net and deflected into the back of the goal. Tyler Murovich and Daniel Bahntge were credited with an assist on the play.Atlanta would double their lead with only 1:43 remaining in the opening frame. Gary Nunn put the Glads up 2-0 with a one-timer that beamed through the legs of the Wings goalie Clay Witt. The fifth-year pro scored his third goal of the year on the play, while Derek Nesbitt added to his team lead in points with his thirteenth helper on the year and Thomas Frazee notched his fourteenth with the primary assist.The home team cut their deficit in half with a tally by Dane Fox 2:12 into the second period. The Chatham, ON native put in his eighth goal of the year after Ludwig Blomstrand carried the puck into the zone and sent a pass to a wide open Fox on the other side of the zone. The helper was Blomstrand's second in as many games.Patrick D'Amico gave the Gladiators their two-goal lead back only thirteen seconds after Kalamazoo's tally. The rookie out of Winnipeg, MB scored his fifth of the season and put Atlanta up 3-1 with a blast from the right hash marks that rung off the post and in. The goal was unassisted, as D'Amico got the turnover from the Wings defenseman in the offensive zone.Kalamazoo brought the game back to within one 6:06 into the middle frame. Adam Phillips notched his fifth goal of the year with a shot from the point that deflected off of Derek Nesbitt's stick in front of the net and went past Atlanta goaltender Kent Patterson. Alex Mallet was credited with his ninth assist of the year on the tally.The Wings tied the game at three on a goal from Tanner Sorenson with 2:26 left in the second. The former Alaska Ace scored his sixth of the year on a rebound that he sent through the legs of Patterson. Charlie Vasaturo was credited with his fourth assist of the season after taking the original shot from the point.The Gladiators regained their lead with a goal from D'Amico 8:50 into the final stanza. The 21-year-old forward put in his second tally of the night, which would hold to be the game winner, by stickhandling through the defenders in front of the net and putting a shot past Kalamazoo's rookie goaltender. Murovich and Bahntge both recorded their second assist of the night on the play.Murovich then put the visitors up 5-3 with 6:12 remaining in the third period. The assistant captain was awarded his third point of the night with a shot from the center of the zone that went top-shelf over Clay Witt. Patrick D'Amico continued his big game with the assist on the play after feeding Murovich with a pass in front of the net.Sweeping the two-game series with Kalamazoo, Atlanta improved to 16-9-1 on the season with the win, placing them in seventh in the Eastern conference with 33 points. Meanwhile, Kalamazoo drops to 10-15-2-1 on the season placing them in twelfth place in the Eastern conference with 23 points.