DULUTH, GA – The South Carolina Stingrays defeated the Atlanta Gladiators 5-4 in overtime on Saturday night. Jack Adams scored a hat trick (including the overtime winner), Josh Wilkins scored twice, and Garin Bjorklund stopped 28 of 32 shots in the victory.
Nolan Burke struck first for the Gladiators 7:26 into the first period. Burke poked a rebound through Bjorklund's five-hole for his second goal of the season.
Eleven minutes into the first period, Navrin Mutter made it 2-0 with his fifth goal of the season. The Stingrays cut the deficit in half thanks to a power play goal by Adams. He knocked in the rebound off an Austin Magera shot.
The Gladiators took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Micah Miller put the Gladiators up two with his team-leading 13th goal of the season.
Adams pulled the Stingrays within one when he fired a wrist shot from the slot past Atlanta goaltender Brad Barone. Wilkins tied the game 38 seconds later when he redirected a Connor Moore shot into the top left corner. The two teams entered the third period tied 3-3.
3:36 into the third period, Wilkins gave the Stingrays their first lead of the night when he beat Barone with a clean wrist shot from the left hash mark.
Atlanta tied the game on a power play goal by Ryan Cranford just under four minutes later.
The Stingrays ended the game 5:48 into overtime when Magera whipped a wrist shot on goal, and Adams punched in the rebound. Adams' hat trick was the second Stingray hat trick of the 2023-24 season and the first hat trick of Adams' professional career.
The Stingrays return to action tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Orlando Solar Bears at 3:05 pm at the North Charleston Coliseum.
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