Gwinnett Gladiators Beat Bombers in OT 4-3

A third period rally and an overtime goal by Jordan Fox led the Gladiators to a 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Dayton Bombers Wednesday night at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. Dayton took the early lead, 2:44 into the first, when Jarret Lukin took a pass from Nino Musitelli in the high slot and put it past Kevin Nastiuk.

Jordan Fox answered for the Gladiators three minutes later while shorthanded. The game was 4 on 4, but Bomber Forward Ben Geelan came out of the box to give Dayton the man advantage. Pat Bateman brought the puck down the right wing side, and threw a pass across to a slashing Fox who scored the equalizer.

The Bombers took the lead midway through the second period. Nino Musitelli got on the scoresheet again, picking up a loose puck at center ice and dancing through a few Gladiator defensemen before putting it into the back of the net. The goal was only the fifth shot for Dayton in the game.

With just over a minute left in the stanza, Danny Lapointe carried the puck up the right wing wall, and put a slapshot past Kevin Nastiuk high on his glove side making the score 3-1. The goal came with Gwinnett on the power play, and tied the team for the league lead in shorthanded goals allowed on the season with five.

Gwinnett got a goal back just over two minutes into the third period. Pat Bateman grabbed a long rebound in the defensive zone and sprung Bryan Esner, who carried it in all alone and put it past Dayton netminder Paul Drew.

Just two minutes later, Gwinnett completed the comeback. Matt Siddall got the puck to Bateman behind the net, who curled it around and tucked it in on the left side. The score remained tied through the final fifteen minutes, and the game went to the extra frame.

With one minute left in the overtime, Scott Marchesi fed Dirk Southern in the neutral zone, who forwarded up to Jordan Fox at the left wing wall. He fired it in front of the net towards a streaking Jim Jorgensen, but the puck went off the Bomber defensemen and went past Drew for the game winning goal.

The win is the first overtime victory of the season for Gwinnett, who improves to 4-4-0-3.

The Gladiators return to action Friday night at 7:30 p.m. as the Bombers and Gladiators face off again for the second consecutive game.
- www.gwinnettherald.com

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