Sensational on Sensory Day: the Atlanta Gladiators earn a 2-1 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and take 2 of the 3 games in their 3-and-3 series

Game Day Preview: Greenville Swamp Rabbits (14-15-4-0/32 points/5th place in the ECHL South) vs Atlanta Gladiators (22-9-0-0/44 points/3rd place in the ECHL South)

Coming into today's game (January 19, 2026 at 1pm EST at the Gas South District), ECHL South Division rivals clash yet again in the last game of a 3-and-3 series (3 games on 3 consecutive games) this past Saturday (January 17, 2026).

The visiting Greenville Swamp Rabbits win the opener at their home arena (the Bon Secours Wellness Arena) by a 2-1 margin, and as the series returns to the Gas South District (on January 18, 2026), the Atlanta Gladiators score a 3-1 win to even the series. With the "rubber" match in effect for today, both teams are looking for a win not just for bragging rights, but for upward movement in the division standings.

With the halfway point (there are 72 regular season games) in sight (along with the ECHL All-Star Break), the Swamp Rabbits come into today's game 7 points out of 4th place (as the top-4 teams in each division make the playoffs). With an offense averaging 2.6 goals per game, they'll look to leading scorers Keaton Mastrodonato (9 goals/12 assists/21 points/-4 rating) and Cam Hausinger (10 goals/10 assists/20 points/+4 rating) to jump start an offense who has scored 3 goals in the 2 games in this series. Atlanta counters with one of the best scoring defenses in the league, as they allow 2.1 goals per game. Likewise, with a solid defense and goaltending, Ethan Haider (11-4-0--/2.55 goals allowed average/.920 save percentage) is between the pipes to halt any offensive efforts by Greenville (as T.J. Semptimphelter is unavailable due to his selection to the ECHL All-Star Game).

By the same token, the Gladiators are in 3rd place in the division, as they are 8 points out of first place (as the teams ahead of them in the division have played 35 and 37 games respectively compared to the 31 games they've played leading into today). Alex Young (9 goals/16 assists/25 points/+12 rating) and Chad Nychuk (3 goals/22 assists/25 points/+21 rating) lead an offense who has 6 players with 20 or more points (Jack O'Brien, who has 25 points, is unavailable due to his selection to the All-Star Game). Their offense comes in scoring 3.1 goals per game as they'll look to challenge a Greenville defense allowing 2.8 goals per game along with having a breakthrough against Isaiah Saville (4-4-0-0/2.50 goals allowed average/.924 save percentage).

With the MLK Holiday in effect along with it being Sensory Friendly Game Day (lower volume, no goal horn, dimmed lights, and quiet zones for a calmer and more inclusive experience), as usual during this time of the ECHL regular season, there's a few things riding on today's matchup.

Game recap: Both team defenses shine, but the Glads have just enough to get the win and take the rubber match of the 3-and-3 series.

Atlanta jumps out to an early lead in the 1st period. Just 1:23 into the period, Alex Young's 10th goal of the season (assisted by Cody Sylvester and Isak Walther) gets the Glads in the scoring column. However, Greenville would even up the score just before the end of the period as Cam Hausinger's goal on the power play (his 11th of the season assisted by Patrick Polino and Parker Berge) ties the game at 1.

The Gladiators would retake the lead just before the conclusion of the 2nd period. A late goal (19:57 in the 2nd period) by Alex Young (his 2nd of the game and his 11th of the season, assisted by Chad Nychuk) gives them a 2-1 lead literally seconds before the end of the period and 2nd game intermission.

In the 3rd period, Greenville has some near misses, including a shot which deflects off the post at the 16:45 mark of the period, as both teams have a defensive stalemate. After a game timeout at the 17:41 mark of the period, the Swamp Rabbits pull the goaltender for an extra skater in an effort to force a tie and get the game to overtime. The Glads' defense stands up to ward off the last push to preserve their lead and close out the 3-and-3 winning the last 2 games of the series.

Post-game: Under the leadership of Assistant Coach Zach Vinnell and the offensive efforts of Alex Young, the Glads take 2 out of 3 from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to go into the ECHL All-Star Break on a positive note.

Despite missing a few contributors due to the ECHL All-Star Game along with Head Coach Matt Ginn, the Glads don't skip a beat. Assistant Coach Zach Vinnell does a sound job of directing the team and keeping them focused in their win as the team earns their 23rd win of the season (in 32 games played). He notes the team focus and overall play in being keys to today's win (you may watch his full pressor below):

The Glads have a slight advantage in shots on goal (27-23) while the Swamp Rabbits score the only power play goal of the game (they are 1/3 while the Glads are 0/2). However, Alex Young's 2-goal effort and the efforts of goalie Ethan Haider (who makes 22 saves on 23 shots) are enough to defeat Greenville (as Isaiah Saville turns away 25 of 27 shots) and keep the team close to the top of the division standings (you may watch his responses to our questions below):

After the game, the team takes time to connect with the fans via their autograph session. And once the ECHL All-Star Break concludes, Atlanta hits the road for 7 games (January 23rd through February 3rd), with 6 of the games against teams in the division. Their next home game is February 4, 2026 against the Florida Everblades for their second College Night theme game of the season (at the Gas South District).

Notes: All photos and video are recorded by asnortonccs; you may catch our season coverage on our 2025-26 playlist (click HERE to watch in-game snapshots and interviews).