Shorthanded Gladiators come up short

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
© Copyright 2013 Gwinnett Daily Post

BILOXI, Miss. - Playing with just 12 skaters, the Gwinnett Gladiators battled to a 5-3 loss to the Mississippi Sea Wolves on Tuesday night at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.

After trailing 3-0 in the second period, the Gladiators cut the Mississippi lead to one but could get no closer in the loss.

Jeff Kryzakos collected a pair of goals for Mississippi to give the Sea Wolves a 2-0 lead on the Gladiators (24-25-6) after the first period. Kryzakos' first came at 6:52 of the first period on the power play and again on a flurry in front of goalie Dan Turple

Then, the Sea Wolves Mike Berry slipped down the left wing and past a Gladiators defenseman who lost his footing in the slot before beating Turple giving the Sea Wolves a 3-0 lead.

But Gwinnett didn't go away. The Gladiators scored a pair of goals just a minute and a half apart. Adam Berti got Gwinnett on the board at 10:16 of the second period beating Mississippi netminder Ryan Munce, and then Jean-Claude Sawyer cut the Mississippi lead to 3-2 at 11:48 of the second period.

But that was as close at the Gladiators got.

Mississippi extended its lead to 4-2 at 5:20 of the third period. Ryan Cruthers ripped a slap shot off the back dasher that skipped right into the slot where he picked up his own rebound and beat Turple for the goal.

Tom Zanoski answered for the Gladiators at 10:31 of the third period.

But Mississippi put the game away at 12:37 of the third period on a goal by Parent.

The Gladiators outshot Mississippi in the loss by a 46-24 margin as Turple finished with just 19 saves for Gwinnett. Both teams went 1-for-5 on the power play in the contest.

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