DULUTH, Ga. - The Atlanta Gladiators (5-8-2-0) took down the Jacksonville Icemen (6-3-2-0) by a final score of 3-2 on Friday night, in overtime, at Gas South Arena, in Duluth, Georgia.
Ethan Haider got the start for the Gladiators, while Matt Vernon got the nod for the Icemen.
Despite 17 shots on net for the Gladiators in the opening frame, the two clubs were scoreless after twenty minutes.
Atlanta would waste no time come the second stanza, as just 1:20 in, Chad Nychuk (1) scored his first goal in a Gladiator sweater. Joey Cipollone found Patriks Marcinkevics, who utilized his speed, skated to the high slot, and found Nychuk down low, who backhanded a shot through Matt Vernon and into the net.
Over eight minutes later, the Icemen would tie the score, as Olivier Nadeau (3) swept in a shot at the side of the net at 9:38. Robert Calisti and Davis Koch earned the helpers.
56 seconds later, at 10:34, the Glads took the lead right back, as Randy Hernandez (1) scored his first pro goal, after a nasty pass off the tape of Dominicks Marcinkevics from behind the goal.
With 5:55 to go in the third, Jacksonville tied the game, as Connor Russell (1) rifled a wrist shot upstairs on Ethan Haider.
After 60 minutes, the two clubs were tied at two, with the shots 33-30 in favor of the Gladiators.
In overtime, Atlanta forward Blake Murray (2) ended the game, with an unassisted goal. Murray took advantage of a Jacksonville turnover in the neutral zone, raced into the Icemen end, and at the side of the net, roofed a backhander over Vernon’s shoulder.
On his game winning goal, Gladiators forward Blake Murray mentioned, "Honestly, we caught them on a change, I saw a quick opening, and tried to put it roof."
On his team's performance, Murray said "We came out really strong in the first, just couldn't capitalize early. They had a little bit of a push as we expected, but we came through in the end. It was a good win at home, and now the focus is on tomorrow."
Ethan Haider made 28 saves on 30 shots in the win for the Gladiators, while Matt Vernon denied 24 of 37 for Jacksonville.
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