Sawchuk stays hot as Walleye slay Gladiators

ATLANTA, GA – The Toledo Walleye defeated the Atlanta Gladiators 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Gas South Arena.

What Happened:

The Toledo Walleye finished their week down South by visiting the Atlanta Gladiators.

John Lethemon defended the net for the visting Walleye. Jacob Graves and Riley McCourt protected the blue line while Riley Sawchuk, Alexandre Doucet and Mitch Lewandowski led the Toledo raid.

Josh Boyko started between the pipes for the host Gladiators. Robert Calisti and Zach Yoder manned the defensive zone while Ryan Cranford, Brendan Hoffmann and Michael Marchesan filled out the attack for Atlanta.

The action began at :37 with the Walleye getting their first power play chance as Marchesan was penalized for Hooking. The Gladiators killed off the penalty.

Toledo got their next man-advantage at 6:38 courtesy of Marchesan once again, this time for Slashing. Atlanta fended off the power play again.

The Gladiators found the scoreboard first at 9:11 when Seth Benson put a rebound through the five-hole of Lethemon. Nolan Burke and Mitch Walinski added assists on the icebreaker.

The Walleye got yet another power play chance at 14:22 when Carson Gicewicz was called for Delay of Game. The Gladiators killed the power play off yet again.

That wrapped the first period with the Walleye trailing the Gladiators 1-0.

The Walleye outshot the Gladiators 9-8 in the period. Toledo was 0/3 on the power play while Atlanta did not have an opportunity.

The Fish kicked off the second period with an unassisted goal by the scorching-hot Sawchuk at 3:20 to knot the score at 1-1.

Then, it was Sawchuk again at 6:32 to put the Walleye ahead 2-1. Lewandowski and Doucet added helpers to claim the lead. The goal marked Sawchuk’s second of the game and sixth of the week.

The Walleye grew to lead to 3-1 at 10:08 as Trenton Bliss lit the lamp with Brandon Hawkins and Michael Prapavessis adding assists.

The Gladiators got their first power play chance at 14:07 when Lewandowski was penalized for Roughing.

The two teams exchanged Roughing calls at 14:29 as Adrien Beraldo and Micah Miller headed to the penalty boxes for Toledo and Atlanta respectively. Play on the ice remained five-on-four.

The Walleye killed off the power play successfully.

That wrapped the second frame with the Walleye leading the Gladiators 3-1.

The Walleye were outshot by the Gladiators 9-13 in the period and 18-21 through two periods. Toledo did not have a power play chance in the period, while Atlanta was 0/1.

The third period action began with a Walleye power play at 2:31 when Jay Powell was penalized for Interference. The Gladiators killed off the power play.

Atlanta got their next man-advantage at 17:48 when Matt Anderson was sent to the Toledo penalty box for Interference.

The Gladiators converted the power play at 19:39 when Jackson Pierson found the net after pulling Boyko for a six-on-four advantage. Gicewicz and Reece Vitelli added helpers to the power play score.

The horns sounded with the Walleye claiming a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Gladiators.

The Walleye were outshot by the Gladiators 9-12 in the period and 27-33 overall. Toledo was 0/1 on the power play in the period and 0/4 overall, while Atlanta was 1/1 in the period and 1/2 overall.

Three Stars Sponsored by Local 245:

1. Riley Sawchuk (2G) - TOL
2. John Lethemon (W, 31/33 SV) - TOL
3. Seth Barton (1G) - ATL

What’s Next:

The Toledo Walleye will head to the Heritage Bank Center to meet with the Cincinnati Cyclones for the season series finale between the two teams on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 with puck drop coming at 7:35 pm ET.