Stung by the Stingrays: the Atlanta Gladiators' comeback falls short and results in a 3-2 loss

Preview: South Carolina Stingrays (9-5-0-0/18 points/tied for 2nd in the ECHL South) vs Atlanta Gladiators (9-3-0-0/18 points/tied for 2nd in the ECHL South)

Coming off a 4-2 win over one of their ECHL South rivals last night, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (click HERE for our recap), the Atlanta Gladiators are back at it on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (November 23, 2025 at 3:10pm EST) at the Gas South District for the 2nd game of their current 5-game homestand.

Today's game takes on added significance as it's another matchup within the division, as they take on the South Carolina Stingrays. Both teams are tied for 2nd place in the division and are just 1 point out of 1st place, so today's winner likely will be in the top spot for the division (as the top 4 teams in each division make the playoffs).

South Carolina's offense comes in averaging 2.8 goals per game; Simon Pinard leads the team in scoring (5 goals/8 assists/13 points+1 rating) as he's one of 3 players with 10 or more points. Defensively, the Stingrays allow 2.7 goals per game, so playing close games seems to be part of their early season identity.

As for Atlanta, defense is their calling card, as they are allowing less than 2 goals per game (1.7 goals per game). Offensively, they are led by Alex Young (5 goals/7 assists/12 points/+8 rating) as they are also scoring 2.8 goals per game. With TJ Semptimphelter in goal today (he has a 4-2 record, a 1.18 goals allowed average, one shutout, and a .947 save percentage), the team looks to earn another win during the homestand with their defense providing opportunities for their offense.

Recap: Atlanta scores first, but South Carolina's defense and goaltending are slightly better as the Glads drop a 3-2 decision.

The Atlanta Gladiators would get off to a quick start in the opening period and score the first goal of the game. Anthony Firrolo's 3rd goal of the season at the 3:50 mark (assisted by Louis Boudon and Isak Walther) slithers past Seth Eisele (who enters today's play with a 3-2 record, a 3.92 goals allowed average, and an .877 save percentage) for the early lead.

The South Carolina Stingrays would respond with a 2-goal scoring run within a 2:21 stretch of the period. Goals by Ludwig Persson (his 1st of the season with assists from Romain Rodzinski and Jalen Luypen at the 7:42 mark) and Kaden Bohlsen (his 5th of the season with assists from Kyler Kupka and Ludwig Persson at the 10:03 mark) give them the lead going into the 1st intermission.

Both teams' defenses and goaltenders have solid efforts, as neither team scores in the 2nd period.

In the 3rd, period, Atlanta ties the game at the 3:41 mark. as the Glads' Ryan Nolan's 4th goal of the season (assisted by Ethan Scardina and Brendan Less) makes it a 2-2 game. Subsequently, South Carolina would retake the lead as their breakaway 2 on 1 opportunity at the 9:24 mark of the 3rd period leads to Simon Pinard's 6th goal of the season (assisted by Kyler Kupka and Connor Mayer) , giving the Stingrays a 3-2 advantage.

The Stingrays' Kaden Bohlsen would literally snowplow Glads' goalie TJ Semptimphelter into the goalposts with 4 minutes left in the game (3rd period), giving Atlanta a power play opportunity and chance to tie the game. However, the Stingrays would have a penalty kill and end up holding on for a 3-2 win.

Post-game: While neither team converts on any of their power play opportunities (a combined 0 for 7), South Carolina slightly outshoots Atlanta (29-24) to generate a few more opportunities en route to the win.

The Stingrays' Seth Eisele turns away 22 of 24 shots (allowing half as many goals as his season average) while the Glads' TJ Semptimphelter makes 26 saves on 29 shots.

For post-game, Atlanta head coach Matt Ginn takes time to speak with us. He notes possible adjustments to help improve execution on the power play along with a few related items to focus on leading into their next game (you may watch the full interview below) as the Glads look to bounce back from tonight's loss and 1-1 start to their current (5-game) homestand.

Notes: All photos and video are recorded via asnortonccs; you may watch our 2025-26 season playlist for additional game snapshots and interviews.

The Atlanta Gladiators play the next game of their homestand on November 26, 2025 (at 7:10pm) as they'll have a rematch against the South Carolina Stingrays for College Night #1 (fans are asked to wear their favorite college team attire for the game).