PREVIEW: Glads Look to Continue Home Success vs Orlando

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7:00 PM

WHERE: Gas South Arena - Duluth, Ga.

WHO: Atlanta Gladiators vs Orlando Solar Bears

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BROADCAST: All Atlanta Gladiators games are broadcast live on the Gladiators Broadcast Network. Listen to the game online at Mixlr.com, or watch the game on FloHockey.TV.

GAME NOTES

DULUTH, Ga. - The Gladiators match up with the Solar Bears for the second time this weekend tonight at Gas South Arena. Tonight also marks the second of a three-games-in-three-days stretch for the Gladiators, with the team traveling to Savannah for their third game of the weekend tomorrow. Atlanta and Orlando have clashed three times this season, and the Glads have owned the series by outscoring the Solar Bears by a combined 16-5 margin, including last night’s 5-2 win.

Scouting the Solar Bears: Orlando played without rookie Joe Carroll, the team’s leading scorer, last night against Atlanta. Michael Brodzinski is now tied with Carroll at 14 points (4G-10A) and ranks 10th in scoring amongst league defensemen. The Solar Bears rank last in the South Division and had a five-game point streak broken in last night’s defeat.

Real Deal Neils: Eric Neiley scored Atlanta’s first goal in the first period last night against Orlando and tacked on an empty-netter later in the third. In last Saturday’s 3-2 win over Greenville, Neiley tabbed his second three-point night of the season with a goal and two assists. With his last two efforts, the fifth-year Gladiator now has five points in his last two contests. Neiley is now tied for the team lead with 15 points (8G-7A), and he leads the club with five multi-point games. The forward’s other three-point night came on Nov. 18 at Florida in a 5-4 overtime loss when he tabbed three assists. Neiley compiled seven multi-point efforts in 48 games last season with Atlanta, including a four-point night on Mar. 4 at Norfolk.

Empty Net Bonanza: Entering last night’s game, the Gladiators had not scored an empty-net goal this season. In the last 1:25 of the third period last night against Orlando, Gabe Guertler, Eric Neiley, and Michael Turner all scored empty-netters for Atlanta’s first three of the season. The Glads hit 14 empty nets during the 2021-22 campaign. 

Success Against Orlando: The Gladiators have claimed multi-goal wins against the Solar Bears in all three meetings so far this season. In the first meeting at Amway Center on Oct. 30, Atlanta won 6-3 thanks to three power-play goals and three goals in the span of 57 seconds in the third period. On Nov. 4 at home, the Glads outshot the Solar Bears 39-17 and claimed a definitive 5-0 decision. Through all three matchups, Atlanta has outscored Orlando 16-5 and converted six times on the power play while holding the Solar Bears to one power-play goal in 14 attempts.