Duluth, GA – Forward Sam Coatta tallied two goals and added an assist as the Bloomington Bison defeated the Atlanta Gladiators by a 3-1 score on Sunday at Gas South Arena.
Just 5:10 into the game, the Bison power play notched a goal from Coatta on a wrist shot atop the faceoff circle. His second of the season came from Ryan Siedem and Eddie Matsushima. The lone goal in the frame sent the Bison into the second period with a 1-0 lead despite being outshot 8-3.
Halfway through the second period, Coatta tallied another goal on a rebound for his second of the game and third of the year. Matsushima and Jake Murray assisted on the goal at 12:50. Randy Hernandez responded for Atlanta 3:10 later with his eighth of the season to bring the score to a 2-1 margin. Connor Galloway and Derek Topatigh assisted on the goal that would close the scoring in the second stanza.
Linus Hemstrom regained the Bison two-goal lead scoring on his own rebound at 3:51. His first professional goal came on the power play and was assisted by Coatta and Connor Lockhart. The Bison held on to their 3-1 lead despite a heavy push by the Gladiators during the third period.
Yaniv Perets stopped 36 of 37 shots to improve his record to 8-4-1. Drew DeRidder made 17 saves on 20 shots in the loss. The Bison went 2-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.
Bloomington continues the nine-game road trip on Tuesday morning against the Jacksonville Icemen. The puck drops at 9:30 a.m. from VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
The Legacy Weekend Package is now available for purchase! The package includes one platinum center ice seat on Friday, February 21 (All-You-Can-Eat Night), one platinum center ice seat on Saturday, February 22 (New York Rangers Night), a VIP meet-and-greet with a Rangers legend and a Bison hat for just $49! To purchase, click HERE, or call (309) 965-HERD.