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December 12, 2003 Generals come up empty-handed Gladiators - 2 Generals - 0 BY KEITH TOLBERT Special to the News & Record GREENSBORO - Recent roster moves have made life in the East Coast Hockey League a little more difficult for the Greensboro Generals. With three players being called up to the American Hockey League (AHL) and two others on injured reserve, the Generals struggled to find the net and lost to the Gwinnett (S.C.) Gladiators 2-O at the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday night. Generals coach Rick Adduono said the missing players shouldn't be used as an excuse. "There is no excuse. We have to find a way to win in our own building," Adduono said. "We outplayed them. We out-shot them. We outrebounded them." The Generals had many opportunities, outshooting the Gladiators 40-32, but couldn't get the puck past Gladiators goalie Michael Garnett. Garnett came in with an impressive 1.95 GAA and a .916 save percentage. "We created a lot of scoring chances, but their goalie made some great saves," Adduono said. "He deserves a lot of credit. He played a great game." The Generals (14-8-0) also got a great game in goal from Jamie Hodson, who made 32 saves. It was Hodson's debut with the Generals after being added to the roster earlier this week. Hodson had spent the beginning of the season with St. Johns in the AHL. "You always know what you' are facing. You want to get up for a good goalie," Hodson said. "I haven't played that well. I'm just trying to get a fresh start and get my confidence back. I thought I played well tonight and hopefully I can build on that." Adduono said he believes Hodson just wasn't getting enough playing time in St. Johns but is a high-quality goalie who should win many games in the ECHL. "He drove 40 hours and only had one practice. I was very pleased with the way he played," Adduono said. "We should have two of the best goaltenders in the league (along with Daniel Berthiaume). Over the long haul, it should be phenomenal." The two goals the Gladiators (16-5-3) scored weren't really mistakes by Hodson. The first goal came in the first period when the Gladiators' Wes Fox broke away, but was tracked down by a Generals defender. He got a shot off, but it was deflected by the defender's stick and Hodson said it "fooled him" because of the deflection. The Gladiators added to their lead in the second period when they had a two-man advantage after the Generals were whistled for separate penalties within a 30-second span. Kevin Doell punched in a rebound after three shots right in front of the net. "I thought we took an undisciplined penalty and it cost us a goal," Adduono said. "Still, when we are down 2-0 or even 3-0 in our own building in the third period, we should have enough character to come back." The most recent call up from the Generals' roster was defenseman Ryan Bonni, who was sent to Grand Rapids. Adduono wasn't pleased with that particular transaction because Grand Rapids doesn't ,play until tonight. He felt they should have waited a day to bring Bonn! on board. "It is an unwritten rule, especially if you're unaffiliated," Adduono said. "If you don't play that night, there is no need for the player to be there. He could have flown out and been there for the morning walk-through. We could have used an extra defenseman. A defenseman can make all the difference in the world." Bonni joins Sam Ftorek (Manchester) and Pete Gardiner (Rochester) in the AHL. Gardiner currently has three goals and an assist in 16 games and Ftorek has one assist in five games. The most recent addition to the Generals' injured list was defenseman Kevin Grimes, who was placed on the 7-day injured list Thursday. GENERALS REPORT Gladiators - 2 Generals - 0 INSIDER Site: Greensboro Coliseum Why the Generals lost: Despite 40 shots on goal, the Generals simply couldn't get the puck past Gladiators goalie Michael Gamett. Stars: Greensboro - Jamie Hodson 31 saves. Gladiators - Wes Fox one goal, Kevin Doell one goal, Michael Gamett 40 saves. The play: With the Gladiators ahead 1-0 in the second period, they had a 5-on-3 advantage and scored on a rebound to really put the pressure on the Generals in the third period. What they said: "I don't like being shut out in our own building" - Rick Adduono, Generals coach Records: Greensboro 14-8-0. Gladiators 16-5-3 |