Augusta bounces back for home win

The Gwinnett Gladiators mopped their home ice with the Augusta Lynx on Friday.

The Gladiators led by as many as eight goals, with the Lynx coming alive to score two in the third to avoid the shutout and try to set the tone for Saturday's rematch at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

For two periods Saturday, the teams battled to a tie game. In the third period, though, the Lynx got their revenge. A power-play goal by Jamie Johnson proved to be the game-winner, but Augusta added two more goals for good measure and finished with a 5-2 win.

"No one thought twice about last night," said Lynx defenseman John Cronin, who was supposed to make his return Friday from a knee injury, but had it postponed by the blowout. "When we got off the bus last night we were just thinking about tonight. We came out to play tonight. Last night we came out flat, and we saw what happens."

Cronin made the most of his first game in more than a month by scoring his second goal of the season. His goal capped the Lynx's scoring with 4:34 left in the game, though he was thinking pass from the time he got the puck. But once a defenseman shifted over to cover Brian Passmore, Cronin had a clear lane to goalie Adam Berkhoel, and he fired the puck through the goaltender's legs.

"I'm thrilled for him," said Lynx coach Stan Drulia, who was able to move last year's leading scorer, Louis Goulet, back to forward with Cronin back in the lineup.

Lynx fans started chanting, "Three more goals," after Cronin's goal gave Augusta the 5-2 lead. They wanted the Gladiators (26-17-7) to suffer the same humiliating 8-2 thrashing Gwinnett had stuck on Augusta (20-25-7) the night before.

The victory helped the Lynx (47 points) move two points closer to the eighth and final American Conference playoff spot after Mississippi (26-20-4, 56 points) lost 4-3 to Pensacola.

Defenseman Joe Markusen got the Lynx off to a 1-0 lead at the 5:32 mark of the first period. The rookie took advantage of a perfect pass from Johnson to score the first goal of his career.

"I just went to net, and he found me," Markusen said.

Johnson scored his first goal of the game about 10 minutes later from Matt Dzieduszycki and Eric Johansson. Johnson, the reigning ECHL Player of the Week, improved his team-leading totals to 18 goals and 60 points with a two goal and one assist game.

Goalie Jason Saal stopped all six shots he faced in the third and 21 for the game.

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.

STAR OF THE GAME: Augusta's leading scorer, Jamie Johnson, scored two goals and notched an assist.

TURNING POINT: Dan Sullivan's goal with 5:11 left to play gave the Lynx a two-goal cushion and a little breathing room.

PLUS: The Lynx rebounded from a six-goal blowout and regained the ground it had lost in the playoff hunt.

TODAY: 4:05 p.m., Greenville at Lynx