Gladiators Use Four-Goal Second Period to Knock Off Rays 4-2

The Atlanta Gladiators took to the ice for the first game of a home-and-home set with the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday night at the Infinite Energy Arena. A four-goal second period, and a multi-point effort from Lindsay Sparks and Colin Jacobs, propelled the Gladiators to the 4-2 victory on home ice.

After a scoreless opening frame, Atlanta would net the game’s first goal 3:14 into the second period. Phil Lane skated into the offensive zone for the Gladiators and left a drop pass for Lindsay Sparks. The Oakville, ON native then turned around the circle and found Ben Danford at the point, who wristed a shot past the blocker of Jeff Jakaitis to put Atlanta ahead 1-0 with his seventh goal of the year.

The Gladiators would then double their lead just :25 seconds of playing time later. Colin Jacobs carried the puck into the zone on a two-on-zero and lifted a pass across to Rick Pinkston. The Dartmouth University product then tapped in the puck for his first goal in the garnet and gold. Sparks notched his second point of the evening with the secondary assist on the goal that put Atlanta ahead 2-0.

Atlanta would then go ahead 3-0 at the 9:16 mark of the second. Sparks picked up the puck in the offensive zone and wrapped a pass around the boards to Jacobs. The former Buffalo Sabres draft pick then skated out from behind the net and found Ryan Lannon pinching in from the point. The veteran defender then slipped a shot into the top corner of the net for his second goal of the season.

The home team would continue their second period onslaught, and go ahead 4-0 with 9:31 left in the middle frame. Stephen Pierog corralled the puck in the slot and lifted a shot over Jakaitis, who got caught out of position after he dove for the initial stop. Both Colin Sullivan and Taylor Doherty were credited with an assist on Pierog’s first career ECHL goal.

South Carolina would get on the board, and cut the deficit to 4-1 with 4:56 to play in the second period. Tim McGauley brought the puck into the zone for the Stingrays and dropped a pass to Steven Whitney in the slot. The Boston College product then one-timed a slap shot over the shoulder of Atlanta’s goalie Sean Bonar for his eighth goal of the campaign.

The Stingrays then struck 5:42 into the third period to cut the score to 4-2. McGauley once again took the puck at the near circle, and then wired a shot over the blocker of Bonar for his fifth goal of the year. Tommy Hughes added his name to the scoresheet with the assist on the play, while Whitney tallied his second point of the night with the secondary helper.

With their second win in a row against the Stingrays, Atlanta improved to 14-16-1-1 on the year, and still sit in fifth in the South Division with 30 points. Meanwhile, South Carolina dropped to 18-7-3-1 with the loss on the road, but remain in second in the division with 40 points.

Up next, the same two division-opponents will face off once again tomorrow night, this time in Charleston, SC. The second game of the home-and-home set between the Gladiators and Stingrays will start at 7:05pm Saturday night at the North Charleston Coliseum.