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Fresh off a thrilling victory against the formidable Jacksonville Icemen, the Atlanta Gladiators were determined to maintain their momentum into the next match against the Florida Everblades on Margaritaville night. With their home games drawing to a close, the team is fueled by hunger for more wins as they strive to finish the season strong.
In their previous outing, the Atlanta Gladiators (21-42-3-1) dominated the Jacksonville Icemen (41-20-5-1) with a resounding 4-0 victory, spurred by three early goals in the first period. Brendan Hoffman ignited the scoring frenzy with a wrap-around goal, swiftly followed by Luke Prokop's precise shot from the point. Parker AuCoin then sealed the fiery start with his debut team goal, securing Atlanta's commanding three-goal lead. This outstanding performance reflects the team's potential for success and ignites hope among fans for a triumphant season finale.
Despite facing setbacks after an impressive eight-game streak, the Gladiators have been tirelessly working to regain momentum and secure victories in their remaining season games. Knowing their playoff chances are slim, each win serves as a fitting conclusion to their season. As the saying goes, it's not about how you start, but how you finish. Could the Gladiators pull off a comeback in this game? That was the question lingering as the puck dropped and the game commenced.
The Everblades wasted no time asserting their dominance, denying the Glads any easy scoring opportunities they enjoyed the night before. At 11:16 in the first period, the Blades took the lead with a goal by #5 Zach Uens, assisted by #44 Josh Ho-Sang and #3 Zach Berzolla. The game remained evenly matched throughout much of the first period, with the Everglades maintaining pressure on the Gladiators.
In the second period, the Everglades continued their aggressive play, scoring their second goal at 6:28. Goal by #19 Bobo Carpenter, assisted by #16 Ben Brar. However, the Gladiators refused to back down, responding with their own goal at 9:49 to narrow the score to 2-1. Goal by #94 Parker AuCoin, assisted by #20 Reece Vitelli.However, the beginning of the second period took a minor turn as the Stingrays could get a goal scored within the first 2 minutes of play. Although this did not mean that the Gladiators were falling short in defense, it just meant that they would need to rally back quickly now that the game was tied 1-1. Speaking of defense- the Stingrays did a great job Wirth holding off at the net against the Gladiators.
A potential turning point arose when the Gladiators appeared to secure their second goal with 3:37 left in the second period, only for the ref to nullify it, sparking frustration among the crowd. Despite the setback, the Glads swiftly refocused their efforts to equalize before the period ended, but their attempts fell short.
As the third period commenced, the Glads were caught off guard as the Everglades netted their third goal just seconds in. Scored by #2 Cole Moberg, assisted by #22 Joe Pendenza and #21 Riese Zmolek, the Glads found themselves trailing 3-1. The intensity of the previous night seemed to have vanished, leaving the Glads in need of a quick comeback to bridge the two-goal deficit.
Hope flickered around the 5-minute mark with another Glads' goal, only to be overturned after an official review, leaving them with just one goal for the game. With two disallowed goals, one couldn't help but wonder how different the game might have been had the score been tied with 12 minutes remaining. Despite giving their all, the Atlanta Gladiators fell short in their efforts to secure a win. In their second of three consecutive home games, they were defeated 4-1 by the Florida Everglades, whom they are set to face again tomorrow, April 5, 2024.
This is Dez Barnes of Pretty Girls Love Sports, a journalist on the MTMV Sports platform. She is a retired US Army veteran, professional cheerleader, pet mom, and avid sports lover. Feel free to follow her writings as she dives into the latest sports news! You can find her on all social media channels @PGLOVESPORTS.