Gwinnett Gladiators Hold off Sea Wolves for 5-4 Win

The Gladiators opened up a 5-2 lead on the Mississippi Sea Wolves and hung on for a 5-4 win on Saturday night at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Bruce Graham notched the game winner and finished with a goal and an assist for Gwinnett while Kevin Nastiuk recorded his second win of the season for the Gladiators.

The Gwinnett Gladiators scored first in the contest for the fourth time in five games this season on Brandon Kaleniecki's second goal of the year. Kaleniecki slipped in over the Mississippi blueline and ripped a slapshot past Mississippi netminder Ryan Munce for the marker. Ryan Mahrle and Dan Sullivan collected the assists on the goal at 5:44 of the first period for Gwinnett.

Andy Brandt pushed the Gladiators lead to 2-0 on a 5-on-3 power play goal at 9:56 of the first period. Parked in the slot on the man advantage, Brandt took a centering pass from Bruce Graham and flicked the puck past Munce for the marker. Brad Schell also had a helper on the tally for Gwinnett.

Mississippi got on the board at 3:58 of the second period as Travis Lisabeth beat Gwinnett netminder Nastiuk from 25 feet out just seconds after a faceoff. Frederik Cabana won a faceoff cleanly to Lisabeth to set up the marker for the Sea Wolves.

Pate Bateman notched his second goal of the season on the power play to regain a two-goal advantage for Gwinnett 6:38 into the period. Mahrle notched an assist on the goal as he fed Bateman in the slot. Bateman's ensuing shot was deflected high into the air and landed in the crease behind Munce and rolled into the net for the marker .

Brad Schell pushed the Gladiators lead to 4-1 as he beat Munce on a breakway at 13:56 of the second period. As the two teams skated at 4-on-4, the puck slipped into the neutral zone as the Sea Wolves were caught on a bad line change and schell picked up the loose puck and walked in untouched on Munce.

Mississippi cut the Gladiators lead in half 5:25 into the third period. Cabana notched his first of the game beating Nastiuk from a pile up in front of the Gwinnett net. Chase Trull added an assist on the goal for Mississippi.

Gwinnett got the goal back as Graham was able to beat Munce thorugh the legs at 6:39 of the third period from just inside the Sea Wolves blue line. Preston Briggs notched an assist on the goal for Gwinnett.

Mississippi got within a goal posting a pair of makers with four minutes of each other late in the third period. Matt Deschamps was able to work by a Gladiators defenseman along the goal line and slip the puck past Nastiuk for the first of the two goal as it came at 12:48 of the third period. Jason Tejchma and Bill LeClerc had the helpers on the marker for Mississippi.

Tejchma pulled the game within a goal at 16:18 of the final period with a power play goal for Mississippi but the Sea Wolves could get no closer. Tejchma was able to beat Nastiuk down low along the goal line on a 5-on-3 for the marker. Curthers and Wirll posted the assists.

Nastiuk posted 21 saves for the Gladiators in the win. Gwinnett went 2-for-9 on the power play while holding the Sea Wolves to just one power play goal on five chances on the man advantage.

The Gladiators continue the 2008-09 season tonight at the Arena at Gwinnett Center as Gwinnett hosts the Florida Everblades at 7:05 p.m.
- www.gwinnettherald.com

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