DULUTH, Ga. � Gwinnett�s Brad Schell scored two goals and had an assist to pace the Gladiators to a 5-1 triumph over the Mississippi Sea Wolves in Game 1 of the best-of-five American Conference Quarterfinals, taking a 1 game to 0 lead before 2,564 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.
�I don�t think we can play any worse than we did tonight,� Mississippi coach Bob Woods said. �It was a pretty disappointing effort. We didn�t have any jump. We watched them work. When we work, we get results. When we don�t work, we are a below average hockey team. I expect we will wake up for Game 2 back home at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum at 8:35 (p.m.) on Friday.�
Mississippi (0-1) counted the first goal of the series on the penalty kill at 7:13 of the first period. Breaking in a 2-on-1, defenseman Mike Garrow, who was assigned by the Utah Grizzlies of the American Hockey League earlier in the day, fed a sweet pass across to defenseman Austin Miller, who beat goaltender Adam Berkhoel.
Gwinnett (1-0) knotted the score on an odd-man rush in the final minute of the first. Schell used two of his teammates as decoys and snapped a shot from the right circle between the pads of goalie Phil Sauve. The lone assist on the goal went to Mike Vigilante at the 19:27.
The Gladiators grabbed their first lead of the game at 10:15 of the second. Captain Cam Brown, who is the ECHL all-time leader with 718 regular season games played, centered for Mike Stathopoulos and his shot in close made it 2-1 for Gwinnett. Pat Dwyer also garnered a helper.
Late in the second, Gwinnett scored its second goal of the game in the final minute of a period. Joe Bourne potted a power-play goal with 27 seconds left in the stanza, set up by Schell and Stathopoulos, giving the Gladiators a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Just 20 seconds into the third, Brown moved in on a breakaway and tucked in a goal to make it 4-1. Assists went to Adam Smyth and Randy Dagenais, who was named to the All-ECHL Second Team on Defense.
The Gladiators put the game out of reach at 2:46 of the third. Schell on a turnaround shot from the slot to register his second goal of the game assisted by Stathopoulos.
Mississippi failed to capitalize on four power play chances, while Gwinnett converted on 1-of-5 opportunities. Gladiators outshot the Sea Wolves 49-27.
The Sea Wolves return home for Game 2 on Friday, which is the only game of the series that will be played at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum at 8:35 p.m. CT.
Individual tickets for the 2005 Kelly Cup Playoffs are on sale at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all Ticketmaster locations by calling (228) 385-2600 and online at ticketmaster.com.
Watch the live web telecast for $6, courtesy of B2 Networks, online at msseawolves.com. With the pregame show beginning at 8:20 p.m. CT, listen live on flagship radio station WGCM-AM 1240, or online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of Teamline.
Season ticket packages for 2005-06, the 10th Anniversary Season of the Sea Wolves, are on sale now by calling (228) 275-WOLF. Ask about the �Early Bird Special.�
--- Box Score ---
SCORE BY PERIODS
Mississippi 1 0 0--1
Gwinnett 1 2 2--5
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Mississippi-Miller 1 (short handed)
(Garrow) 7:13. 2, Gwinnett-Schell 1 (Vigilante) 19:27. Penalties:
Jarmuth, MIS (Hooking), 5:29. Mastad, MIS (Cross checking), 8:47.
Emmett, GWT (Slashing), 8:47. Legault, MIS (Interference), 11:51.
Smyth, GWT (Charging), 12:39.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 3, Gwinnett-Stathopoulos 1 (game winner)
(Dwyer; Brown) 10:15. 4, Gwinnett-Bourne 1 (power play) (Schell;
Stathopoulos) 19:33. Penalties: Cava, MIS (Roughing), 3:44. Manson,
GWT (Roughing), 3:44. Drake, MIS (Roughing), 3:44. Brown, GWT
(Roughing), 3:44. Smyth, GWT (Slashing), 6:23. Campbell, GWT
(Board check), 7:31. Jackson, GWT (Hooking), 11:57. Drake, MIS
(Holding), 15:27. Manson, GWT (Roughing), 15:27. Greenough, MIS
(Roughing), 18:55.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 5, Gwinnett-Brown 1 (Dagenais; Smyth) 0:20. 6,
Gwinnett-Schell 2 (Stathopoulos) 2:46. Penalties: Martone, MIS
(Slashing), 5:16. Doell, GWT (Roughing), 5:16. Greenough, MIS
(Roughing), 14:07. Emmett, GWT (Hooking), 17:17. Battaglia, MIS
(High sticking), 17:58.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Mississippi 15 8 4--27
Gwinnett 15 19 15--49
Power Play Conversions: Mississippi - 0 of 4, Gwinnett - 1 of 5.
Goalies: Mississippi-Sauve (49 shots, 44 saves; record: 0-1-0).
Gwinnett-Berkhoel (27 shots, 26 saves; record: 1-0-0).
A: 2564. Referee: Banfield. Linesmen: Finley; Owen.
