Gladiators top Swamp Rabbits 3-1 on home ice

DULUTH, Ga. (Jan. 18, 2026) — The Atlanta Gladiators used a strong second period and solid goaltending to defeat the Greenville Swamp Rabbits 3-1 on Sunday at Gas South Arena.

After a scoreless first period that featured physical play and chances at both ends, Atlanta broke through early in the second. Ryan Joey Cipollone opened the scoring 2:09 into the period with a tip-in goal off a setup from Ryan Francis.

The Gladiators added to their lead just over a minute later on the power play. Ryan Nolan scored off assists from Francis and Nolan Orzeck to make it 2-0. Late in the period, Carson Denomie finished a transition chance with under two minutes remaining to extend the lead to 3-0.

Greenville got on the board before the end of the second period with a power-play goal from Keaton Mastrodonato, cutting the deficit to 3-1 heading into the final frame.

The third period belonged to Atlanta’s defense and goaltender Ethan Haider, who turned away multiple scoring chances as Greenville pushed to get back in the game. The Gladiators limited second opportunities and maintained control to secure the win.

Haider made 30 saves on 31 shots to earn his 11th victory of the season. With the win, Atlanta improved to 22-9 on the year.

The Gladiators face Greenville again Monday afternoon at Gas South Arena for a sensory-friendly game, with puck drop scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.