Gwinnett Gladiators fall to Checkers in shootout, 4-3

For the second consecutive game, the Gladiators failed to score in the shootout, and lost in a 4-3 shootout decision Tuesday night to the Charlotte Checkers at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in a game that saw 66 penalty minutes and 4 fighting majors. The Gladiators fall to 1-0-2 after the loss.

The Gladiators opened the scoring with 8:07 left in the first period. Pat Bateman tallied his first goal with Gwinnett, taking a pass from Jordan Fox on the left boards and putting it past Checkers goalie Maxime Daigneault.

Fox added his name to the score sheet again with a goal just under 3 minutes later at 14:45 of the first. The forward picked up a rebound off a Bateman shot on the left faceoff circle and carried the puck behind the net before putting it over Daigneault on his glove side.

Jeff Miles put Charlotte on the board with 1:08 left in the period on the power play. Mike Bayrack drove the puck down the right side, and threw a pass across the middle to Miles who put it in on the left doorstep.

The Checkers equalized the game at 7:23 of the second period. Pat Bateman had just left the box after a delay of game penalty, and Julien Brouillette fired a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle. Gwinnett goaltender Kevin Nastiuk kicked the rebound to his left, directly to a waiting David Rutherford who put it in the open net.

With 6:43 left in the second period, Andreas Jamtin scored the Checkers third goal of the game on the power play with Chris Cava in the box for cross checking. Trailing 3-2, the Gladiators found themselves behind in a game for the first time all season. Mike Taylor and David Rutherford tallied assists on the goal.

The action heated up late in the second. Tysen Dowzak of Charlotte and Gwinnett's Dan Sullivan opened the fight card with 5 minutes left in the period, both receiving 5 minute majors. Less than 30 seconds later, Myles Stoesz joined the action, picking up a one punch knockdown on Andreas Jamtin, then proceeded to fight Jared Nightingale. The Checkers defensemen picked up a game misconduct for being the third man in the fight. In the ensuing Gwinnett power play, Pat Bateman centered the puck to a streaking Josh Engel who put it past Daigneault to tie the game at 3-3.

The Gladiators failed to convert on a 40 second 5 on 3 advantage with 5 minutes left in the game, and neither team was able to score in regulation taking the game to overtime.

Gladiators netminder Kevin Nastiuk made 21 saves in the loss, and his opponent Maxime Daigneault earned the win, stopping 15 shots.

The Gladiators continue the 2008-09 season on Oct. 31 at Mississippi as the team makes its road debut against the Sea Wolves.
- www.gwinnettherald.com

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