Photo: Andrew Fielder for Inside The Rink
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Saturday was Margaritaville Night for the Jacksonville Icemen, who faced the visiting Atlanta Gladiators. The team played as the Jacksonville Frozen Margs, and the players wore specialty Margarita-themed jerseys. Atlanta took a 5-4 shootout win, which eliminated Jacksonville from any potential playoff spot and moved Atlanta into second place in the South Division heading into the playoffs.
Atlanta scored first in the game, with Isak Walther scoring at 15:20 of the first period. With just 2 seconds left in the period, Jack O’Brien gave Atlanta a 2-0 lead. In the second period, Jacksonville was able to tie things up. Adam McMaster scored the first goal for Jacksonville on a pass from Logan Cockerill, who had just exited the penalty box. Jed Pietila‘s goal would come from a deflection off an Atlanta player that went into the net.
During the third period, Kirklan Irey gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead for his first pro-career goal. Logan Cockerill scored two back-to-back goals just over two minutes apart to give Jacksonville its first lead of the game. The first of those goals came on the man advantage. Kirklan Irey scored his second of the game to tie the game 4-4 and send the game to overtime.
After a scoreless OT period, even with Jacksonville having a two-minute two-person advantage, the game headed to the shootout. Ethan Haider in net for Atlanta, and Michael Bullion in net for Jacksonville, both came up big throughout the game and into the shootout, but a shootout goal by Atlanta’s Adam Eisele won the game for the Gladiators. Jacksonville needed a win to keep its playoff chances alive, but the loss allowed the Savannah Ghost Pirates to clinch their playoff spot for the first time ever.
Click here to read an in-depth recap of the game by ITR’s Karen Zehner.
Check out this photo gallery from Inside The Rink’s Andrew Fielder, for highlights from the game.
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Andrew Fielder is our Jacksonville Icemen Photographer and also our Photography Editor for Inside The Rink.
You can also view his latest hockey photos at www.andrewfielderphotography.com