DULUTH, Ga. - The Atlanta Gladiators (9-4-1-0) picked up their sixth straight home win with a 4-3 shootout victory over the South Carolina Stingrays (8-4-1-1) Saturday on home ice. Kaid Oliver, Noah Laaouan, and Mike Pelech all recorded goals in regulation for the Glads while Eric Neiley and Liam Kirk finished off the Stingrays in the shootout.
First Star: Liam Kirk (ATL) - shootout winner
Second Star: Noah Laaouan (ATL) - goal
Third Star: Andrew Cherniwchan (SC) - shorthanded goal
Atlanta wasted no time in taking its first lead of the night. Just 38 seconds into the first period, Sanghoon Shin challenged South Carolina goaltender Clay Stevenson with a high shot, and Kaid Oliver cleaned up the rebound for his third goal of the season (0:38).
Alexandre Fortin tied the game at 1-1 on a shot that redirected in front of Altanta netminder Tyler Parks (9:36).
Late in the first, Reece Vitelli hit fellow rookie Noah Laaouan with a pass in stride for Laaouan to bury on Stevenson's blocker side (17:39).
South Carolina tied the game again early in the second when rookie Carter Turnbull forced a turnover the Atlanta zone dangled around Parks (1:58).
The league's top penalty kill was tested in the second period when the Gladiators found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-on-3 for one minute and 48 seconds. Parks and the Glads managed to kill off the two-man advantage for South Carolina, marking the third-straight game the Atlanta has killed off a 5-on-3. All three two-man advantages that the Glads have killed in the last three games lasted at least one minute and 39 seconds.
In the dying seconds of the middle act, Derek Topatigh blistered a slapshot on goal that produced a juicy rebound for Mike Pelech to score, giving the Gladiators a 3-2 advantage (19:22).
Andrew Cherniwchan scored his second goal of the week against Atlanta on a shorthanded breakaway in the third period to tie the game at 3-3 (8:12).
After a scoreless overtime, the Glads and Rays headed to a shootout. Johnny Evans beat Parks to start, but the Atlanta netminder shut down Turnbull and Cherniwchan on the following shots. After Cody Sylvester rang the pipe, Eric Neiley and Liam Kirk both scored to give the Gladiators their sixth straight home win.
Atlanta plays next on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 7:00 against the Savannah Ghost Pirates.
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