Game 4 : Late Goal Lifts Stingrays Past Gladiators 4-3

The Atlanta Gladiators battled back all night, but a late goal proved to be the difference as they fell 4-3 to the South Carolina Stingrays in a Game 4 playoff thriller at Gas South Arena.

With the series intensifying, Atlanta showed urgency early. The Atlanta Gladiators struck first, setting the tone on home ice as they looked to even the series. But South Carolina answered before the end of the opening period, sending the game into intermission tied 1-1 after a fast-paced, physical start.

The Stingrays took control in the second period, capitalizing on key opportunities to grab a 2-1 lead. Atlanta had its chances, with pushes from players like Joey Cipollone, Cody Sylvester, and Carson Denomie, but couldn’t break through again before the end of the frame.

In the third period, the game opened up—and so did the scoring.

Atlanta responded with a crucial equalizer to tie things at 2-2, bringing life back into the building. The Stingrays quickly countered to regain the lead, but the Gladiators refused to go away. Another big moment came late as Atlanta found the back of the net again, evening the score at 3-3 in the final minutes and setting up a dramatic finish.

However, the Stingrays responded in dramatic fashion, as Romain Rodzinski scored with just 28 seconds left to give South Carolina a 4-3 lead.

In the final second, Chad Nychuk appeared to tie the game with a Hail Mary shot that found the net, but the goal was waved off after review due to the play being called offside, causing the arena to surge with fans’ disapproval of the call and sealing the 4-3 victory for South Carolina.

Despite the loss, the Gladiators showed resilience, battling back multiple times behind efforts from Cipollone, Sylvester, Denomie, and Alex Young. Goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter made several key stops to keep Atlanta within reach, but the late goal proved too much to overcome.

Atlanta outshot South Carolina 32-27 in the contest, including a 13-10 edge in the third period, but couldn’t find the equalizer when it mattered most.

Now facing a must-win scenario, the Gladiators head into Game 5 on Friday, May 1st at the North Charleston Coliseum. Puck drop is set for 7:05 PM EDT.