Big Red Derails Soul Train

With tight, physical team defense, coupled with waves of relentless offensive pressure, the American Gladiators pummeled Soul Train 9-2 on Sunday night at the MSA.  Winger Bryan Slaughter and center Tom Osinkosky both had hat-tricks as the AGs peppered Train goalie Bruce Williamson with 42 SOG in the contest.

Gladiator Slaughter got on the board first with a stuff attempt that beat Williamson at 9:33 in the first period.  Slaughter was assisted by defenseman Rick Schmitt and center Osinkosky.  With 59 ticks left in the first and on a PK, Red's Osinkosky took advantage of open ice, skated 90 feet, and powered a shot past Williamson to put the Gladiators up by two.  Osinkosky was assisted by the omnipresent winger Curtis Stepian.  Shots after one were 10-5 in the AGs favor.

Slaughter scored again at 11:10 in the second with assists going to captain Rob Lovaglio and Schmitt.  At 9:10, Soul Train managed a quick shot that snuck by Gladiator goalie Joe Renfro.  Red answered back at 5:13 when Jeff Howe punched a shot past Williamson from a scrum in front to make the score 4-1.  Howe was assisted by A.J. Maher.  There was controversy on the Gladiator's fifth goal.  Schmitt passed to Osinkosky, who raced up the right side of the offensive zone and slid a shot that appeared to beat Williamson and ripple the net behind.  The referees determined it a goal.  There was a delayed reaction by Green, who argued that Williamson had the puck in his glove after it fell from his jersey.  The goal stood, and Green answered back less than 20 seconds later with a screened deflection that got by Renfro, ending the second period 5-2.

The Gladiators came out firing on all cylinders in the third.  Osinkosky scored at 14:05 from Stepian.  Thirty seconds later, Slaughter scored again with assists going to Big O and Stepian.  At 11:57, Lovaglio raced up-ice, dipsy-doodled a defenseman, and ripped a wrister that beat Williamson up high.  At 9:05, G-man blueliner Rob Bergstrom pinched in deep, skated around the back of the ST net, took advantage of a fallen Williamson, and wristed the puck into a yawning net to end the scoring 9-2.  Shots in the third frame favored the Gladiators 17-7.

The Gladiators have their last regular-season game on April 1st versus Yellow at 3:30PM at the MSA.