Atlanta Completes Weekend Sweep of Orlando with 4-2 Win

The Atlanta Gladiators returned to the Amway Center for the second straight day for a matchup with the Orlando Solar Bears. Dan Vladar made 36 saves between the pipes for Atlanta while Phil Lane spoiled the game for the home fans once again as his two goals proved to be the difference in the Gladiators’ 4-2 win.

Atlanta would open the scoring for the second game in a row with a tally 9:46 into the first period. Thomas Frazee stole the puck from an Orlando player on the far boards and slipped a pass through two defenders to Lane. The sixth-year pro then lifted a shot over the glove of the Solar Bears goalie, Cal Heeter, to put the Gladiators ahead 1-0.

The Solar Bears brought the game back to even 11:36 into the second period with Mike Monfredo’s first goal of the season. Josh Winquist picked up the primary assist on the play after he corralled a puck that was dumped into the corner by Kenton Helgesen and fed a pass to Monfredo at the back door, who sent it into the net to make it 1-1.

The Gladiators then took their lead back and made it 2-1 with only 1:13 left in the middle frame. Lindsay Sparks wired off a slap shot from the boards that skittered through the legs of Heeter and remained loose in the crease where Lane tapped in his second goal of the night, and fourth in the past three games.

Orlando struck with 13:52 left in the third period to knot the game at 2-2. Nolan Valleau tallied his first goal of the season after he threaded a shot over the glove of Atlanta’s goalie, Dan Vladar. Mike Vaskivuo notched the lone assist on the tying goal.

Taylor Doherty gave the Gladiators a 3-2 lead with 9:39 left in the third with a slap shot from the point that sailed past Heeter’s blocker. The unassisted power play tally was the seventh-year pro’s first goal of the season, and ended up being the game-winner against his former team.

The visitors would then seal their win with an empty-net goal with four seconds remaining in the game. Frazee picked up the final goal of the contest after he roped a shot from the neutral zone into the open net frame.

The victory gave Atlanta their third straight win and improved their record to 3-4-0-0. That put the Gladiators in third in South division with six points. Meanwhile, Orlando dropped to 2-3-0-0 with the loss on home ice and fell to fifth in the division with four points.

Up next, the Gladiators will return home to face the Kansas City Mavericks on Friday night. The puck drops at 7:35 p.m. at the Infinite Energy Arena on November 3rd.