By Cameron Mallare

Duluth, GA — On a night built for energy, noise, and momentum, the Atlanta Gladiators delivered exactly what the College Night crowd came to see a resilient, explosive, and commanding 6–3 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays at Gas South Arena. Just three days after falling to the Rays in a tight 3–2 contest, the Gladiators responded with one of their most complete performances of the season, fueled by depth scoring, timely saves, and a relentless physical edge.

The opening period set the tone for another heated chapter in a growing rivalry. Hits came early and often, and both teams battled for every inch of ice. After killing an early penalty, the Gladiators struck first when Ryan Nolan buried the game’s opening goal off a setup from Ryan Conroy and Brendan Less. Goaltender Ethan Haider stood tall throughout the frame, turning aside high-quality chances to protect the lead. But with less than two minutes remaining, the Stingrays capitalized on a late power play to tie the game 1–1.

Atlanta quickly reclaimed control in a thrilling second period. Just 3:20 into the frame, Peter Morgan punched home his first professional goal, a go-ahead goal off a smooth feed from Nolan, and before fans had even finished cheering, Chad Nychuk doubled the lead only 29 seconds later. The building erupted as the Gladiators surged ahead 3–1, feeding off the noise of the student-heavy crowd. Though South Carolina battled back with a goal late in the period on the power play, Atlanta maintained a 3–2 edge heading into the third.

The final frame brought more fireworks and more statement moments. The Stingrays came out with heavy pressure, but Haider delivered one clutch save after another to maintain the Gladiators’ advantage. At 14:04, Louis Boudon provided breathing room with a clean finish off a feed from Anthony Firriolo, putting Atlanta up 4–2. South Carolina answered quickly to make it a one-goal game again, but the Gladiators refused to allow momentum to slip away. At 18:11, Cody Sylvester fired home a blistering wrister to restore the two-goal cushion, sending the bench and the student section into celebration. With the Stingrays’ net empty in the final minute, Isak Walther sealed the night with an empty-net goal, securing the 6–3 victory and icing one of Atlanta’s most complete team efforts to date.

The win marked a crucial bounce-back for the Gladiators, who proved once again their ability to respond, adapt, and rise to the moment, especially in front of their home fans.

Next up, Atlanta turns its focus to Saturday, November 29th, when they return to Gas South Arena for another divisional showdown, this time against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. With momentum back on their side, the Gladiators are primed to continue their strong early-season push.

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