By Jack Ziskin

DULUTH, GA — Daniel Panetta scored his first career ECHL goal in a 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Gladiators on Saturday night.

T.J. Friedman scored his 6th for the Icemen and his 11th of the season.

Craig Martin scored his 16th of the season for Jacksonville.

Topias Leinonen made 21 saves on 27 shots, including one shorthanded goal and one power play goal by Atlanta. Two of the goals against came in one-timers, in a game where Atlanta had the lion share of the opportunities in transition.

Jack O’Brien scored twice after Ryan Nolan netted the eventual game-winner for Atlanta. Adam Eisele scored his first career ECHL goal for the Gladiators. Mickey Burns also found the back of the net for Atlanta. Ethan Haider stopped 24 of the 27 shots in the Gladiators’ win.

Sylvester redirected a shot by Zack Yoder to make it 1-0 Atlanta at 3:30 remaining in the 1st period.

Friedman responded with an unassisted, power play goal at 9:25 to tie it at 1-1. Friedman fired a shot from the outside of right-wing dot that slipped past Haider.

Burns scored a shorthanded goal at 12:49 to put the Gladiators back up 2-1. Chad Nychuk stole the puck at the blue line, before he moved it to Joey Cipollone, who slid it to Burns who sniped low blocker on a virtual 2 on 0.

Nolan extended the Atlanta lead to 3-1 at 7:54 in the second stanza. Nolan ripped a one-timer glove side low on a shot from the slot assisted by Cipollone. It was the lone goal of the 2nd period.

Eisele scored an unassisted goal to put the Gladiators up 4-1 at 5:19 of the 3rd period. The former Ohio State Buckeye robbed the Icemen in neutral, came racing in and sniped low stick side as the Icemen defense unsuccessfully tried to close the gap.

O’Brien scored the fourth unanswered goal for the Gladiators to make it 5-1 at 8:18 in the final frame. Kirklan Irey won a foot race to the puck in the left wing corner of the Icemen zone and circled the net before he slid it to Nolan in the slot, Nolan drifted right as he dished it to the left wing dot for O’Brien to beat a diving Leinonen.

Martin sniped bar-down at 13:17 in the 3rd period to cut the deficit to 5-2. David Jankowski rolled around the cage, slid it to the slot, and Martin sniped bar down.

O’Brien answered at 18:57 to extend the Atlanta lead back to four. Alex Young fished it out of the corner, Sylvester collected it in the left wing corner, and made a feed to the right wing dot for a power play one-timer by O’Brien.

Panetta scored with under 5 seconds remaining in the 3rd period to make it 6-3. Logan Cockerill fired a shot turned aside by Haider, Cockerill collected the rebound, kicked it to his stick, and buried it.

The Icemen were one for five on the power play and gave up a shorthanded goal.

Atlanta went one for two on the power play.

The Icemen will square off against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at 3:05 EST on Sunday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.