JACKSONVILLE, FLA – Bobby Lynch scored twice, while Michael McNiven made 35 saves to propel the Jacksonville Icemen to an impressive 6-2 victory over the Atlanta Gladiators on Friday, December 20th at Veterans Memorial Arena.
Dajon Mingo netted the game’s first goal when his point shot beat Atlanta goaltender Sean Bonar who was screened in front.
The Icemen made it 2-0 following a Gladiators turnover in their own end. An errant Atlanta pass was intercepted by Brendan Warren. Warren skated to the slot and wristed a shot past Bonar for the goal.
Jacksonville continued to press in the second period, when a late developing 3-on-2 rush was finished off by Lynch. Warren, along with Pierre-Luc Mercier worked the puck across the ice before dishing it to Lynch who slipped a shot shortside into the Atlanta net to extend the Icemen lead to 3-0.
Two minutes later, Wacey Rabbit found himself with the puck in the slot and cut toward the net. Rabbit made two deke moves before finishing off a backhand shot over the shoulder of Bonar to make it a 4-0.
Before the close of the second period, Braylon Shmyr put the Icemen ahead 5-0 when he netted his first goal of the season with a wrist shot that slipped low into the net.
Jacksonville tacked on a sixth goal just three minutes into the third period. Lynch broke down the right-wing circle and snapped a shot past relief goaltender Ben Halford to put the score at 6-0.
Michael McNiven was tested down the stretch and stopped the first 31 shots faced in the contest. His shutout bid was cut short when Atlanta’s Samuel Asselin scored a power play marker to put the Gladiators on the board.
The goal would be too little too late, as the Icemen held on for the 6-1 win. Brendan Warren finished the game with three points (1 goal, 2 assists). 
Text courtesy of Jacksonville Icemen
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