By Pablo Salaices

Duluth, GA- The Atlanta Gladiators returned for an action-filled Friday evening at Gas South Arena, falling to the Savannah Ghost Pirates 5-2. The Glads took on the Ghost Pirates for the third game of 2026. Atlanta had been high-flying with a 5-game winning streak, winning their first two games of the new calendar year. The Gladiators had turned Gas South into a fortress, only losing 2 games and winning 12 prior to today's loss.

The Ghost Pirates started the game very fast and with purpose, scoring their first goal within the first twenty-five seconds of the period from Will Riedell. The first period was very dominant offensively by the Ghost Pirates shooting 14 shots on goal compared to the Gladiators 7. As the period progressed, the Ghost Pirates took advantage of Atlanta’s slow start, scoring 2 more goals; the first by Nicholas Zabaneh and another by Colton Huard. After a very dominant first 7 minutes by the Ghost Pirates Atlanta would tighten up defensively. 

The second period was a very different story for both sides. After the first period the Gladiators came out and started to dominate offensively, getting 12 shots on target. The first goal from the Gladiators came from Cody Sylvester midway through the period to make it a 3-1 game. After sustained presence in front of the Ghost Pirates net and on a power play, the Gladiators scored to make their way back into the game. This momentum carried late into the second period as the Gladiators scored their second goal right at the buzzer as with less than 5 seconds Andrew Jarvis cleverly drew the goaltender and two other Ghost Pirate players out of position with a fake shot and laid it perfectly backdoor with an open goal to Cody Sylvester for his second goal of the night to make it 3-2. 

Momentum was on the side of the Gladiators as the third period began, the comeback was on late in Duluth. Both goaltenders showed their value to their squads in this game, as Ethan Haider had 2 acrobatic saves with his skates to try and keep the Gladiators in the game. The Glad had less shots but they were very dangerous in front of goal as it forced the Ghost Pirates Goaltender to make important saves. These late heroics would not help the Gladiators as a score from off a faceoff win from Josh Davies would make the game 4-2 and the comeback very difficult for the Gladiators. Ryan Sullivan would end the chances of a Gladiators comeback with a goal with 4:28 to go, ending the Gladiators 5 game win streak and handing them their first loss of the new year. The Gladiators play the Ghost Pirates again tomorrow, January 10th in Savannah. They will be back in Atlanta on Sunday, January 18^th against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.