Gwinnett Daily Post

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Brad Schell finished with a pair of goals to help the Gwinnett Gladiators to a 4-2 win over the Columbia Inferno on Thursday night at the Carolina Coliseum.

With the win, the Gladiators improve to 35-18-2-3 on the season and move back into a tie for second place with the idle South Carolina Stingrays. Both teams now have 75 points in the South Division.

Schell gave the Gladiators a 1-0 lead on Columbia half way through the first period with his fith goal of the season. Wide open along the right wing boards, Schell took a rink-wide pass from Guillaume Desbiens and beat Columbia netminder Todd Ford on a breakaway for the marker.

Gwinnett took a 2-0 lead on the Inferno at 14:06 of the first period. Mike Hamilton threw the puck off the back of Ford from a bad angle and the puck deflected into the back of the net for Hamilton's 19th goal of the season.

Columbia answered just 25 seconds later. Brad Ralph slipped out of a pile up along the left wing boards and walked untouched in the slot before ripping a shot past Gladiators netmidner Craig Kowalski.

Fussey equalized the contest with the only goal of the second period. Finding a rebouded in the slot, Fussey corralled the puck and flicked it past Kowalski for the marker at 13:50 of the second period.

Gwinnett regained the lead just 3:08 into the third period. Brandt picked up his own rebound in the slot and slipped the puck past Ford for the go-ahead goal for Gwinnett.

Schell added an insurance goal for Gwinnett at the 9:54 mark of the third period giving Gwinnett a 4-2 lead on Columbia. Schell picked up the marker on the power play goal as he won an offensive zone draw right to Jamie Milam were the defenseman ripped a slap shot that Schell deflected past Ford for the goal.

Kowalski finished with 26 saves for Gwinnett in the win, his 23rd of the season. Gwinnett finished 1-for-2 on the power play in the win.