Starting 2025 where they left off: with their 3-2 shootout win over the SC Stingrays, the Atlanta Gladiators now have won 8 of their last 10 games as the move up the Eastern Conference standings

Preview: South Carolina Stingrays (18-9-2-0/38 points/5th in the ECHL Eastern Conference) vs Atlanta Gladiators (14-13-3-1/32 points/8th in the ECHL Eastern Conference)

With 2025 just a few days old, the Atlanta Gladiators look to pick up where they left off in tonight's home tilt (January 3, 2025 with a 7:30pm EST start at the Gas South District) as they come in winning 7 of their last 9 games. They'll face a tall order as they host the South Carolina Stingrays, as their high-powered offense (averaging 4.0 goals per game) and stingy defense 2.5 goals allowed) provide a good test for the Glads (as they average 2.5 goals a game and allow a steady 3.0 goals per game).

The Stingrays' offense is led by 5 players with 20 or more points. Kyler Kupka (13 goals/15 assists/28 points) and Austin Magera (5 goals/19 assists/24 points) look to lead the charge against the Glads. Atlanta's offense counters with team captain Eric Neiley (10 goals/13 assists/23 points), Cody Sylvester (8 goals/13 assists/21 points), and Derek Topatigh (5 goals/16 assists/21 points) look to provide an offensive breakthrough against South Carolina.

Prior to the game, the Glads' Randy Hernandez (6 goals/2 assists/8 points) takes time to speak with us during pregame. In addition to sharing his love for the game, his insight reveals how the team focus and chemistry is coming through with each game, especially during their current 7-2 streak.

Recap: The Glads' goaltending and defense holds the Stingrays to half their season average and win in a shootout.

The Glads jump to an early 1-0 lead at the 7:21 mark of the 1st period thanks to Easton Armstrong's 5th goal of the season (assisted by Andrew Jarvis and Connor Galloway).

However, the Stingrays would even the score in the 2nd period (15:03 in the 2nd period) as Ryan Hofer nets his 5th goal of the season (assisted by Jace Isley and Jordan Klimek) to tie the game (1-1).

The Glads would retake the lead at the 4:20 mark of the 3rd period as Cody Sylvester's 9th goal of the season (assisted by Christian Hausinger and Joey Cipollone) gives them a 2-1 lead; however, the Stingrays would strike back nearly 4 minutes later (8:17 in the 3rd period) as Tyler Weiss ties the game at 2 apiece (his 7th goal of the season assisted by Austin Magera and Erik Middendorf.

The game would go to overtime; early in the extra frame, the Stingrays would pull their goaltender for an extra skater, and they'd get a power play opportunity, but the Glads's defense would make a stand to keep the game knotted at 2.

After the game is tied after overtime, both teams enter a best of 3 shootout.

In one of the more thrilling aspects of the game, Atlanta scores on their first 2 attempts, thanks to Patriks Marcinkevics and Christian Hausinger, while goaltender Ethan Haider (who makes 27 saves on 29 shots), turns away both South Carolina shots to secure the win (as he improves to 11-6-0-1 with 3 shutouts on the season).

Atlanta's winning effort is a byproduct of outshooting South Carolina (34 to 29) even though both teams are shutout on their power play opportunities (both teams go 0 for 4). Combined with their defensive effort in limiting the Stingrays to half their season average (2 goal in tonight's game as they come in averaging 4.0 goals per game), the Gladiators not only move up the the Eastern Conference standings, but now have 8 wins in their last 10 games.

The Glads hit the road on January 4th and 5th with a 2-game series against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. When they return home on January 8th, they'll go another round with the Stingrays as they get closer to the midpoint of the 2024-25 season.

Notes: All video and the first photo-grid is recorded by asnortonccs; the second photo-grid is credited to Michael Palmateer Photography. You may watch our 2024-25 season playlist complete with player interviews and in-game snapshots by clicking HERE.