Gladiators Can't Take Advantage of Early Lead, Fall to Everblades 3-1

The Gladiators scored just :24 seconds into the game but were unable to take advantage as they fell to the Florida Everblades 3-1 on the road at Germain Arena on Saturday night. Dan Vladar made 30 saves in net for Atlanta and Lindsay Sparks managed the lone tally on the evening for the Glads.

Atlanta wasted no time engineering the game’s first goal just :24 seconds into the contest. Lindsay Sparks took advantage of a crazy bounce off the end-boards that popped out front into the crease and pushed the puck past Florida goaltender Callum Booth. Colin Jacobs earned his first point of the season while Phil Lane notched his second on the helpers on Sparks’ first goal as a Gladiator.

Florida responded just as quickly, tying the game :56 seconds into the game. Stephan MacAulay found Michael Kirkpatrick wide-open on the backdoor. The third-year pro chipped the puck in past Atlanta goalie Dan Vladar equaling the game at one goal apiece.

Florida took their first lead on the night with a power play goal at the 8:59 mark of the opening frame. Clark Seymour blasted a shot from the center point that was stopped by Vladar. The rebound went right to the stick of Mitchell Heard who planted the puck into the goal putting the home side ahead by one. Steven Lorentz also received credit for an assist on the second Everblade tally.

The Everblades connected on another man advantage 1:08 into the middle stanza. Lorentz redirected a point shot from Seymour past Vladar to earn his first professional goal. Heard was given the secondary assist on the mark that put Florida ahead 3-1.

Atlanta went on to outshoot Florida in the third period 12-6 but was unable to mount a comeback. With the 3-1 win on home ice, the Everblades take both games on the weekend from Atlanta and improved to 2-0 on the season with four points. The Gladiators drops to 0-2 and remain at zero points on the campiagn.