4/29/2006
COURCHAINE AND DESBIENS EACH HAVE 2 GOALS IN WIN
Guillaume Desbiens and Adam Courchaine each had two goals for the
Gladiators to help Gwinnett past Florida 6-4 in Game 3 of the South
Division Finals on Saturday night at the Germain Arena. Gwinnett now
leads the best-of-five series two-games-to-one with Game 4 on Monday in
Florida.
Florida opened up a 1-0 lead just 2:45 into the contest. Paul Cabana
slid in over the Gladiators blue line and used a pile of bodies cra****ng
the net as a screen to beat Gwinnett netmdiner Adam Berkhoel through
traffic for the marker. Daniel Sisca collected an assist on the goal
dropping the puck off for the trailing Cabana.
Gwinnett answered on their first shot of the game 6:52 into the period.
Adam Courchaine slipped by Florida defenseman at the Everblades blue
line and ripped a shot past netminder Kevin Nastiuk. Danny Eberly and
Scott Mifsud collected the assists on the goal pu****ng the puck through
the neutral zone to Courchaine.
Guillaume Desbiens=3F second goal of the post season gave the Gladiators a
2-1 lead at the 9:43 mark of the opening period. Desbiens redirected
Eberly=3Fs slap shot from the point for the goal. Jeff Campbell also had
an assist on the goal moving the puck to Eberly to set up the marker.
Courchaine=3Fs second goal of the game at the 14:36 mark of the first
chased Nastiuk from the Everblades net in favor of Phil Osaer.
Courchaine took a pass out of the corner from Milan Gajic to set up the
tally.
Florida drew within a goal with 4:42 left in the first period as Drew
Larman beat Berkhoel through a screen off a faceoff in the Gladiators
zone. Ernie Hartlieb and Kevin Estrada had the assists for Florida.
Jon Awe answered for the Gladiators with 1:45 left in the second period
walking into a deflected pass out of the corner that settled in the high
slot. Awe ripped a slap shot over the shoulder of Osaer for the goal.
Joel Stepp was looking for Cam Brown but a Florida defenseman got a
stick on the puck deflecting it into the high slot where Awe picked up
the loose puck.
Florida tightened the game with the only goal of the second period
scoring at the 13:25 mark of the period. Dustin Johner finished an odd
man rush for the Everblades taking a rink wide pass from Vince
Bellissimo and sliding behind the Gladiators defense and beating
Berkhoel. Steve Czech also had an assist on the goal for the Everblades.
Cabana tied the game up with his second goal of the night just 18
seconds into the third period. Brindley picked up an assist on the goal
moving the puck along to Cabana to set up the tally.
Tied at four, Gwinnett took the lead at the 6:28 mark of the third
period on Troy Milam=3Fs first goal of the post season. Milam blasted a
slap shot from the blue line through traffic past Osaer for the
unassisted tally.
Desbiens added an insurance goal for the Gladiators at the 8:46 mark of
the final period. Corralling a bouncing puck on the off wing, Desbiens
batted it past Osaer for the marker. Jeff Campbell and Brad Shell picked
up the assists as they cycled the puck deep in the Florida zone.
The Everblades looked to get back into the contest pulling Osaer for an
extra attacker with a minute and a half remaining but Gwinnett buckled
down defensively. The Gladiators finished the contest out shooting
Florida by a 35-21 margin. Adam Berkhoel finished with 17 saves in the
win for the Gladiators.
PLAYOFFS
ECHL END OF THE 3RD 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
GWINNETT 4 0 2 6
FLORIDA 2 1 1 4 END OF THE 3RD
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: FLA - PAUL CABANA 4 (DANIEL SISCA) 2:45
GWN - ADAM COURCHAINE 2 (DANNY EBERLY, SCOTT MIFSUD) 6:52
GWN - GUILLAUME DESBIENS 2 (DANNY EBERLY, JEFF CAMPBELL)
9:43
GWN - ADAM COURCHAINE 3 (MILAN GAJIC) 14:36
FLA - DREW LARMAN 4 (ERNIE HARTLIEB, KEVIN ESTRADA) 15:18
GWN - JON AWE 2 (DEREK NESBITT, JOEL STEPP) 18:15
2ND PRD: FLA - DUSTIN JOHNER 4 (VINCE BELLISSIMO, STEVE CZECH)
13:25
3RD PRD: FLA - PAUL CABANA 5 (RYAN BRINDLEY, REGGIE BERG) 0:18
GWN - TROY MILAM 1 (UNASSISTED) 6:28
GWN - GUILLAUME DESBIENS 3 (BRAD SCHELL, JEFF CAMPBELL)
8:46
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
GWN 13 8 14 35
FLA 6 8 7 21
GOALIES: GWN - ADAM BERKHOEL
FLA - KEVIN NASTIUK
The Gwinnett Gladiators continue the 2006 Kelly Cup Playoffs on Monday,
May 1st at the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida for Game 2 of the ECHL
South Division Finals against the Florida Everblades at 7:30 p.m.
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