Gladiators Fall in 4th OT to South Carolina 4-3

After 124:19 of play, the Gwinnett Gladiators dropped a 4-3 decision to the South Carolina Stingrays Friday (April 6) night at the in Duluth in the fourth overtime. Zach Takir scored the game-winner for the Stingrays at 4:19 of the extra session. 

South Carolina leads the best of five ECHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals 2-games-to-1. Game Four of the Kelly Cup Playoffs is scheduled for Sunday, April 8, at 2:05 p.m.

Defenseman Dallas Jackson broke a scoreless tie at 6:39 into the opening period. Jackson picked up a centering feed from Pat Galivan and beat the Stingrays netminder Rob Madore in the upper right corner of the net. Joey Haddad had the other assist.

South Carolina answered at 9:18 right as a five-on-three power play expired with a goal from Johann Kroll. Maxime Lacroix and Zach Takir collected the helpers on the tying goal. 

The Gladiators and Stingrays ended the first period tied 1-1. 

At 8:12 into the middle stanza, Jackson fired a shot at the goal from the left wing circle. Madore deflected the puck off of his leg pad, but Andy Brandt picked up the rebound and jammed it home to give Gwinnett a 2-1 lead. 

At the other end of the ice, Stingrays Matt Scherer beat goaltender Marc Cheverie with a backhanded a goal to even the score 2-2 at 10:51. Greg Stewart and Dustin Stevenson had the assists. 

Jacob Drewiske notched his first professional post-season goal on a redirection from Paul Flache at the right wing circle to give the Gladiators a 3-2 advantage at 15:18 of the second period. Defenseman Sean Duddy notched a point on the helper. The Gladiators ended the period on top 3-2, outshooting the Stingrays 20-to-16. 

Just 2:15 into the final period, Stevenson picked up his second point on the night with a tying goal from the slot. The third period ended tied at three and proceeded to the Gladiators first overtime of the postseason. 

In the fourth overtime period, the Stingrays Takir scored the game-winner with 15:41 left in the seventh stanza. 

In the lost, the Gladiators played the second longest game in ECHL history and outshot South Carolina 57-to-48.

The Gladiators are the ECHL Affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres and the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League and are members of the ECHL, the Premier "AA" Hockey League and play all home games at the 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth.

(Editor's note: This game report provided by the Gwinnett Gladiators.)