DULUTH, GA – The Atlanta Gladiators fell to the Orlando Solar Bears 7-3 Wednesday night after Orlando’s Trevor Olsen registered a four-point effort (2G, 2A) in the victory.
Both squads began the night sluggish, but it was the visitors registering the better scoring opportunities. Six minutes into the contest, an Atlanta power play led to a short-handed chance for the Solar Bears. F Tristin Langan found F Jake Coughler streaking through the neutral zone on a breakaway chance. Coughler bested Nell to give Orlando a 1-0 lead. Langan, along with captain Chris LeBlanc and D Kevin Lohan, ballooned the lead to 4-0 in the opening frame, leading to G Chris Nell being pulled just three days after a stellar 35-save shutout performance.
Less than three minutes into the second period, things got worse for the home team. Assisted by D Cody Donaghey and F Johno May, Orlando F Trevor Olson extended the Solar Bear lead to 5-0 after beating G Ben Halford. With nowhere to go but up, the Glads continued to fight. Consecutive penalties by Orlando gave Atlanta a 5-on-3 opportunity, and they used it to finally get on the scoreboard. F Samuel Asselin and F Tommy Marchin assisted F Thomas Frazee on his second goal of the campaign to inch closer. Less than three minutes later, D Alexey Solovyev’s blue-line shot was redirected across the goal line by F Eric Neiley to cut the deficit back to three. Atlanta could not contain that momentum, as Orlando’s Peter Abbandonato tallied his second goal of the season with 6:14 to play in the second.
Trailing 6-2 after forty minutes, Atlanta never wavered in their effort. Solovyev and F Avery Peterson found F Scott Conway for his 11th goal of the season to bring the Glads within three yet again with 8:44 to play. The Solar Bears quelled any thought of a comeback when Olsen netted his second goal of the night just :39 seconds later to cement the 7-3 victory.
The Gladiators hit the ice again Friday evening when they host these same Orlando Solar Bears at 7:35 PM. Fans are encouraged to snag their tickets now to Friday’s Nickelodeon Double Dare Night!
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