Sawchuk’s Two Strikes Sink Gladiators in 3-2 Loss

You’re probably feeling as frustrated as the Atlanta Gladiators were after a tough 3-2 loss against the  Toledo Walleye. I mean, the Gladiators came out flying in the first period, with young gun Seth Benson netting his first professional goal to give them the early 1-0 lead. But man, Riley Sawchuk and the Walleye just took over the game in the second period, rattling off three unanswered goals to grab control. The Gladiators battled until the end, making it close with a late power play goal, but sometimes you just run into a hot goalie like John Lethemon. Tough way to lose, but hey, at least the fans got treated to an intense, back-and-forth matchup.

Recap

You couldn’t have asked for a more exciting matchup between the Gladiators and Walleye. Though Atlanta struck first, Toledo’s Riley Sawchuk was determined to lead his team to victory.

After Atlanta took an early lead, Sawchuk wasted no time evening the score. He netted a breakaway goal just minutes into the second period, rifling a backhanded shot past Boyko to make it 1-1.

Sawchuk was on fire and refused to be stopped. Shortly after tying the game, he scored again off a pass from Lewandowski, giving Toledo a 2-1 advantage. The Gladiators struggled to contain Sawchuk, who was a force to be reckoned with.

Not to be outdone, Trenton Bliss got in on the action and gave Toledo a two-goal lead late in the second period. The Walleye went into the second intermission up 3-1 thanks to three unanswered goals.

The Gladiators fought hard in the final period, even scoring with just 21 seconds left to pull within one. However, time ran out before they could find an equalizer. Toledo held on for the 3-2 win, with Sawchuk’s two strikes making all the difference.

Though Atlanta tested Lethemon with 33 shots, the Walleye netminder was up to the task. He made several key saves to preserve the lead, especially late in the game as the Gladiators frantically tried to tie it. In the end, Sawchuk and Bliss provided all the offense Toledo needed to skate away victorious.

The loss drops the Gladiators to 20-38-3-1 on the season while the Walleye improve to 37-14-4-5. The good news is the Glads showed heart battling back in the third period. If the Gladiators can play with that urgency from the opening puck drop, they will turn things around in no time. But for now, it’s back to the drawing board to prepare for the next matchup.

Next up: The Gladiators return home to face the Trois-Rivieres- Lions at Gas South Arena on Friday Mar 22. Puck drops at 7:00 PM