Gladiators Slip Past Everblades 2-1 in Front of Sold Out Crowd

Game Recap By Bryce Wright

ESTERO, FL- Matt Ginn stopped 25 out of 26 shots on goal helping the Atlanta Gladiators to the 2-1 victory over the Florida Everblades Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd of 7,642 at Germain Arena.

With three minutes remaining in the opening period the Gladiators got on the board when Justin Buzzeo ripped a shot toward the net, Anthony Peters made the initial save; however, Brock Higgs found the puck off the rebound and pushed it into the back of the net to give the Gladiators the 1-0 lead heading into the second period.

Once in the second the Everblades and Gladiators traded momentum and offensive scoring chances for majority of the period, but a mishap by Peters extended the Gladiators lead.

In the final seconds of the second frame, Joe Stejskal slapped the puck toward the net from the neutral zone where Anthony Peters came out of the goal to play the puck. However, he missed on the pass out of the zone and the puck dribbled into the back of the net giving the Gladiators the 2-0 lead heading into the third.

The Everblades tried to mount a third period comeback, and received their first tally at the 12:32 mark. Brendan O’Donnell scored his 12th goal of the year on a power play opportunity. O’Donnell picked up the puck in the slot turned around and riffled a shot past Matt Ginn to cut the Gladiators lead to 2-1. O’Donnell extended his goal scoring streak to five games.

With a minute left in the game the Everblades pulled Peters to go up the extra attacker, however coming up short as they failed to score the game-tying goal.

Matt Ginn earned the victory stopping 25 out of 26 shots while Peters takes the loss allowing two goals on 28 shots.

The Everblades now head out on the road as they take on the Solar Bears Tuesday April 5. Game time is set at 7:00 p.m. at the Amway Center.

-------Prior to the game, a pregame ceremony took place honoring the recent achievements of Everblades President & General Manager Craig Brush and Everblades CEO and Chairman Peter Karmanos Jr.   In February, Brush was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame, while Karmanos was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November.  Banners were raised to the rafters to recognize the contributions to both men for their monumental impact on the game of hockey and the local community.

Upcoming Home Games & Promotions

Friday, April 8 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m.Fan Appreciation Weekend begins!  Everyone will receive a FREE Everblades team photo courtesy of FGCU & Direct Impressions....The first 200 fans will receive a FREE ticket to Naples Zoo! There will be prizes and giveaways all night long!Saturday, April 9 vs. Orlando, 7:00 p.m.Fan Appreciation Weekend continues! The first 5,000 fans will receive a FREE rally card!  Fans will receive a Wawa food voucher as they exit the arena...The Everblades team awards ceremony will take place prior to the game  More prizes and giveaways handed out to fans throughout the night!   

Ticket Information

Game Tickets: Everblades tickets may be purchased at the Florida Community Bank Box Office located at Germain Arena, or at any Ticketmaster outlet, or online atwww.ticketmaster.com

Discounted Group Tickets: Bring your group of 10 or more to a game at a discounted price, and also receive an Everblades souvenir! Group tickets are available for all home games. For more information on group tickets, call 239-948-7825.

2016-17 Season Ticket Plans Now Available:  Full  and flexible partial season ticket plans are  currently available for the 2016-17 season. We offer several tickets packages designed to help fit your budget and schedule. For more information, call 239-948-7825, or stop by the team’s main office located at Germain Arena from Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Fans may also stop by our sales tables located in the concourse at Everblades games. .

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliateof the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes###