DULUTH, GA – The Icemen rallied from a 2-0 deficit, scoring three unanswered goals to earn a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Gladiators Friday night at Gas South Arena.
Atlanta raced out to an early 2-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the contest. The first came just 1:41 into the game when veteran Cody Sylvester tipped and redirected a Jack Matier shot from the point to give the Gladiators the 1-0 edge.
Moments later, Atlanta scored on their second shot of the game, as Evan Dougherty’s shot was stopped off the stick of goaltender Matt Vernon, but the puck bounced off an Icemen defender in the crease and it banked in behind Vernon for the goal to make it a 2-0 game.
Just as it did in Thursday’s game at Savannah, the Icemen power got them back in to the game. At 15:39 of the second period, Brandon Fortunato delivered a diagonal pass form the point to Christopher Brown at the backside of the net. Brown immediately lifted a shot behind goaltender Gustavs Davis Grigals to pull the Icemen within one.
Less than three minutes later, the Icemen tied it up on a second power play goal. Beaming off his goal moments prior, Christopher Brown from behind the net, threaded the needle on a pass to Riley Fiddler-Schultz in the low slot. With three defenders surrounding him, Fiddler-Schultz quickly flexed a shot into the Atlanta net to even the score at two.
The two teams held each other in check for much of the third period, but the Icemen pulled ahead with just under five minutes remaining in regulation. Garrett Van Wyhe found himself with the puck in the slot and he snapped a shot cleanly into the net past Grigals to give Jacksonville it’s first lead of the night.
The Gladiators received a power play in the waning minutes of regulation, but the Icemen penalty kill, along with several key saves from Matt Veron, were able to keep Atlanta from netting the game-tying goal and the Icemen hung on for the 3-2 win.
The Icemen return home on Saturday to face the South Carolina Stingrays at 7:00 p.m.
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