DULUTH, Ga. The Atlanta Gladiators (32-25-6-1) jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but it was not enough as the club fell to the Maine Mariners (35-23-2-1) by a score of 4-3 in overtime on Friday night at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.
First Star: Alex-Olivier Voyer (MNE) - 2 goals
Second Star: Francois Brassard (MNE) - Win, 36 saves
Third Star: Derek Topatigh (ATL) - 2 assists
Atlanta opened the scoring at the midway point of the first period to jump out to a 1-0 lead (9:11). Carlos Fornaris sprung Mitch Walinski on a breakaway with a stretch pass and Walinski buried his third goal of the season.
The Gladiators extended their lead late in the first period while on the power play to make it a 2-0 game (15:33). Mike Pelech cycled a pass to Derek Topatigh and he sent a bomb on net from the point and Sang-Hoon Shin tipped it in front for his 27th goal of the year.
Atlanta made it a 3-0 game just before the ten-minute mark of the second period. Michal Mrazik fired home a pass from Derek Topatigh for his seventh tally of the season (9:16).
Maine struck early in the third period, on the power play, to trim Atlanta’s lead to 3-1 (1:02).
The Mariners would score once again, just over a minute later to make the score 3-2 (2:28).
With just over seven minutes remaining in the final frame Maine drew the score even at 3-3 (12:42).
Sixty minutes of hockey solved nothing as the game headed to overtime tied at three.
Both teams traded opportunities in the extra period, however Maine scored to complete the comeback 4-3 (4:49).
Francois Brassard made 36 saves on 39 shots in the win for Maine, meanwhile Tyler Harmon made 34 saves in the loss for Atlanta.
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