The Atlanta Gladiators battled all afternoon but ultimately fell just short, dropping a 4–3 decision in a shootout on Monday in their first shootout game of the season. With the loss, Adirondack completed the weekend sweep after also taking Friday and Saturday’s matchups.
Looking to salvage the finale on Presidents’ Day, Atlanta came out with noticeably more urgency than in the previous two games. The Gladiators established pressure early, forcing the Thunder onto their heels and controlling stretches of play in the opening period.
Captain Cody Sylvester set the tone, breaking through midway through the first to give Atlanta a 1–0 lead. Adirondack answered soon after, knotting the game at one, but the Gladiators held firm the rest of the period — including a successful penalty kill — and carried momentum into intermission with a power play opportunity still in hand.
Atlanta couldn’t convert on the extended man advantage early in the second, and Adirondack seized the opening. A goal from Michael Herrera put the Thunder in front and briefly shifted the energy, but the Gladiators refused to fade. They continued to push the pace, peppering Jeremy Brodeur with shots and winning puck battles across the ice.
That persistence paid off late in the period when Sylvester struck again, netting his second of the afternoon to tie the game 2–2. Atlanta dominated the shot clock in the middle frame, outshooting the Thunder 17–7, but couldn’t pull ahead before the horn.
The third period delivered the kind of tension you’d expect from two teams desperate for a result. Both sides traded chances, and Atlanta had multiple opportunities on the power play but couldn’t capitalize. Finally, just past the midway point, Ethan Scardina found Joey Cipollone in front for a go-ahead goal that appeared to put the Gladiators in position to secure the win.
But hockey can turn in an instant.
Adirondack responded with a shorthanded tally late in the period, erasing the lead and sending the game to overtime. Atlanta generated a few promising looks during the extra frame, yet the Thunder controlled much of the possession, preventing the Gladiators from finding the decisive moment.
That stalemate led to the first shootout of the season for Atlanta — a tense, goalie-centric showdown. Chad Nychuk opened the scoring for the Gladiators, while Tag Bertuzzi answered for the Thunder. Both netminders delivered clutch saves as the rounds progressed, but Adirondack eventually broke through while Atlanta couldn’t find the equalizer, sealing the 4–3 result.
Despite the loss, the Gladiators showed resilience, fighting back multiple times and delivering one of their strongest efforts of the series.
Atlanta now heads to North Charleston to face the Stingrays on Friday night at 7:05 PM, opening a three-game road trip with hopes of resetting and regaining momentum.
