North Charleston, SC – The Atlanta Gladiators defeated the South Carolina Stingrays 4-3 at North Charleston Coliseum on Saturday night to tie the series 1-1. Atlanta scored three second goals in its first playoff win since 2013.

After falling 3-2 in Game 1 on Friday, the Gladiators looked to even up the series in Game 2 on Saturday night. Atlanta turned to rookie goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter, who made his playoff debut after going 20-12-2-1 with a 2.28 GAA, a .917 SV% and 1 shutout in the regular season. South Carolina stuck with goaltender Garin Bjorklund who stopped 29/31 shots faced in Game 1.

Isak Walther opened the scoring for Atlanta with a power play goal 3:31 into the first. In transition, Jack O’Brien found Walther on the right wing with a pass, sending Walther toward the net with speed 1 on 1 with Bjorklund. Walther buried his first goal of the postseason on the backhand from O’Brien and Chad Nychuk to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead. Walther’s goal was the only goal of the first period, as Atlanta led 1-0 heading into the second period with the shot count tied 6-6. 

Charlie Combs and the Stingrays evened the score at 1-1 just 1:32 into the second, as Combs buried his second of the series from Jalen Luypen. Atlanta responded by exploding with three unanswered second period goals to take a 4-1 lead by the period’s end. O’Brien ripped a left wing shot into the far corner of the net to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead 3:26 into the period after South Carolina coughed up the puck. Following a successful kill on a penalty to Ryan Nolan, Chad Nychuk found Nolan as he was exiting the box to set up a 2 on 1. Nychuk buried it on the cross-ice feed from Nolan to make it 3-1 Gladiators. Carson Denomie earned an assist as well with the goal coming 10:37 into the period. With 4:23 left in the middle frame, Adam Eisele deflected in a Cody Sylvester shot to give the Gladiators a three-goal lead at 4-1. Eisele’s third goal of the postseason came from Sylvester and Nychuk, as the Gladiators held a 4-1 lead through two periods of play.

The Stingrays did not go away quietly. Justin Nachbaur scored on a set play off a faceoff to make it a 4-2 game 5:14 into the third. Stan Cooley won the faceoff to Dean Loukus who located Nachbaur between the circles for the score. With 4:41 on the clock, the Stingrays pulled within one goal, as Zach Funk scored from Kyler Kupka and Connor Moore to make it 4-3. A series of quick passes from wing to wing in transition found Funk in the slot for the score. Despite the push from South Carolina in the third, the Gladiators were able to hold the 4-3 lead and take Game 2 to even the series at 1-1.

Semptimphelter stopped 22/25 in the victory, becoming the first Gladiators goaltender to win a playoff game since Louis Domingue in 2013. Bjorklund stopped 13/17 for the Stingrays. The Gladiators won the special teams battle going 1/3 on the power play and 2/2 on the penalty kill. Chad Nychuk finished the game with 1 goal and 2 assists, and Jack O’Brien 1 goal and 1 assist. It was the Gladiators’ first playoff win since April 26, 2013 in which they defeated the Cincinnati Cyclones 4-2 in Game 4 of the second round.

The series is now even at 1-1 as the scene shifts to Gas South Arena for the first playoff games in Duluth in 8 years. Games 3 & 4 are set for Monday and Tuesday night at 7:10 PM. Don’t miss out – get your tickets HERE and join the battle today!