Atlanta Gladiators' Last Stand: Home Crowd Demands Refund for 'Losing Performance' | ECHL
Gladiators last home game of the season. Photo: @ATLGLADIATORS
Back at home to cap off the three straight home games, the Atlanta Gladiators hoped to regroup after yesterday's loss against the Florida Everblades. Facing them again tonight for Fan Appreciation Night and their last home game, the crowd showed up in good numbers to cheer them on before they hit the road next week. The Gladiators are not moving forward into the playoffs, so once their regular season games are complete, they will have some fierce adjustments to make if they want to be contenders in the next season.
Starting this game, the Gladiators showed a changed approach to how fast they came out to play while adjusting their defense. They were tighter at the net to assist the goalie, as he needed assistance after the 4-1 loss in the previous game. However, that lasted only briefly, as the Blades could strike and get a goal. At 11:17, the goal was scored by #27 Sean Josling, assisted by #19 Bobo Carpenter and #44 Josh Ho-Sang.
The Glads had the crowd behind them as they fought fiercely to get a goal before the end of the first period, but they were unfortunately unable to get it done. The game's pace began to look like the previous game as they slowed down a bit before the period ended. In the second period, both teams were not phased and maintained the tight defense on both ends of the ice. The Gladiators were trying to reach a goal, which seemed more challenging than it should have been. They scored their sole goal in the previous night's second period, so it was anticipated that they would whip one into the net this period. With 13:05 left to play in the period, there was still a lot of hope that they could get it done.
The second period went on and could have been more uneventful for the teams, which means they played great defense, as no goals were scored. This was a good sign but also a poor one, as the Gladiators still had no points on the board. As the third period began, the anxiety started to creep as they needed one goal to tie the game. No one wanted the Gladiators to lose this game, especially as they head to the conference leaders in the Greenville Swamp Rabbits the following week.
The urge for them to feel good with a bit of confidence going into the season's final two games was president. However, the Glads needed help to make any advancements towards the net. The Everblades were sticking vital to holding off at the net. This is impressive for the Blades as it shows they have advanced over the season to be more defensive.
The tempo stayed the same as the game winded down, except the Gladiators let their defensive guards down at the net, and the Everblades struck their second goal! At 12:11, the goal was scored by #19 Bobo Carpenter, who was assisted by #5 Zach Uens and #22 Joe Pendenza. What hindered the Glads was their lack of shots on goal, especially in the third period, where they had 4. In the period where it mattered the most, they shot the least. This could be why they could not get any real pressure on the net.
The Gladiators did not give up, though. They slashed against the ice and aimed to increase their shots per goal. With the grace and grit the Gladiators put forth, they still were unable to secure a home win. In the last game of the season, they were taken down by the Everblades 2-0.
