The American Gladiators defeated S&H 6-2 last night at the MSA. The win earns the AGs 4th Place in the standings and the last spot in the B-League playoffs.
The Gladiators got on the board at 5:46 of the first period when winger AJ Maher wristed a shot into a yawning net, beating S&H goalie Kelsey Haley. Maher was assisted by center Tom Osinkosky and defenseman Dalton Ford. S&H answered back 10 seconds later when a turnover at the AG blueline led to a goal by "Grellow's" Vince Riccabona. Osinkosky put the Red back up with a pretty shot that beat Haley 5-hole at the 1:22 mark. Blueliner Rick Schmitt got the helper on the goal. S&H's captain Ryan Cornett tied the game with a wrister that snuck under Gladiator goalie Joe Renfro's arm with just 13 ticks left in the first. Shots in the first period were 13-5 in the Gladiator's favor.
At 12:44 in the second, Red center Curtis Stepian lifted a shot that beat Haley to put the AGs back on top. Stepian was assisted by D-man Sean Waddle. Eight minutes later, Gladiator captain Rob Lovaglio carried the puck coast-to-coast and stuffed the puck past Haley for Lovaglio's 12th goal of the season. The second period ended 4-2, with the Gladiators outshooting their opponent 26-11.
The AGs kept the offensive pressure simmering in the third. Lovaglio found the back of the net again at 13:02 with assists going to winger Kevin Murray and Osinkosky. At 9:39, Stepian fed the point and D-man Schmitt capped off the scoring with a 55-foot slapper that knuckled its way to the top shelf, ending the game 6-2.
Gladiator netminder Joe Renfro was solid between the pipes, saving 14 of 16 SOGs for a .875 SV%. Big Red went 2/2 on the PK and outshot S&H 37-16. The AGs end their regular season on a 5-game winning streak, earning them 13 points for the season and the last spot in the B-League playoffs. The Gladiators will take on the 1st Place Seed (Orange) on Saturday, April 14th at 8PM. The B-League Championship Game is scheduled for Sunday, April 15th at 6:30PM.
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