Gladiators Trade Helfrich to Bakersfield

Monday, the Gwinnett Gladiators have traded forward Tyler Helfrich to the Bakersfield Condors for future considerations.

Helfrich was claimed off of waivers from the Florida Everblades on October 19th. He has earned 8 points (two goals, six assists) in 12 games with Gwinnett. He also had an assist in two games with Florida last year.

The Calgary, Alberta, native skated four seasons at R.P.I from 2007-2011. He had a career year during his senior season as he notched 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 38 games. He had 106 points (33 goals, 73 assists) in 135 career collegiate games.

11/18 – Bennett assigned to Gwinnett

Forward Spencer Bennett has been assigned to the Gladiators from the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.

Bennett recorded his first professional goal with Portland on October 22nd against Providence. He has one goal in four AHL games this season.

He appeared in two AHL games last season with the Abbotsford Heat but did not register a point. Bennett spent a majority of the 2010-11 season in the Western Hockey League with the Vancouver Giants and the Portland Winterhawks. He earned 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) in 35 games with Vancouver and had 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 37 games with Portland.

11/18 – Sauer returns to Gwinnett

The Gwinnett Gladiators have agreed to terms with goaltender Billy Sauer.

Sauer skated in one game with the Greenville Road Warriors this season on October 15th in a 3-2 loss to the Reading Royals. Sauer posted a .880 save percentage as he recorded 22 saves in the loss.

The Rochester, New York native split time last season between the Gladiators and the Las Vegas Wranglers. He recorded a 2.96 goals against average and a .907 save percentage with the Gladiators and notched a 6-8-2 record in 18 appearances last year. He also went 0-3-1 in five games with the Wranglers.

Under contract to the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League in 2009-10, Sauer saw action with four ECHL teams in the season. He began the year with the Charlotte Checkers and earned a 1-1-1 record in five games. He appeared in four games with Toledo and then won both games he started for the Las Vegas Wranglers. He concluded the season with the Alaska Aces and earned a 1.55 GAA and a .936 save percentage in five games.

Sauer went 5-7-1 in 15 games in the AHL with the Monsters in 2009-10. He posted a 3.09 GAA, had a .901 save percentage and also had an assist on February 6th against Rockford.

Sauer skated four seasons at the University of Michigan from 2005-2009. In 2007-08, he posted a 30-4-3 record, led the nation in wins and helped the Wolverines reach the NCAA Frozen Four. He set single-season school records for goals-against average with a 1.95 and save percentage with a .924. Sauer was also named to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament team.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound netminder earned a 71-30-8 record with a 2.56 GAA and .908 save percentage in 114 career collegiate contests. He was a seventh-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft with the 201st overall selection.

Game wrapups

Friday, November 18: Gwinnett 4, South Carolina 2 – W

The Gwinnett Gladiators defeated the South Carolina Stingrays 4-2 Friday night at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in their first meeting this season. Gwinnett’s Tyler Murovich had one goal and an assist and Joey Haddad extended his point scoring streak to eight games with a goal for the Gladiators in the win. Billy Sauer made 20 saves for the win after being signed earlier in the day by Gwinnett.

Saturday, November 19: South Carolina 3, Gwinnett 2 – L

Trent Campbell snapped a 2-2 tie with less than four minutes left in the third period to lift the South Carolina Stingrays to a 3-2 win over the Gwinnett Gladiators on Saturday night at the North Charleston Coliseum. Andy Brandt notched his third goal of the season in the loss and became the seventh player in Gladiators history to record 50 goals with the team.

Sunday, November 20: South Carolina 6, Gwinnett 1 – L

The South Carolina Stingrays (10-6-0-1) used four second period goals to cruise to a 6-1 win over the Gwinnett Gladiators (8-5-2-2) on Sunday afternoon at the North Charleston Coliseum. Greg Stewart had a pair of goals including the game winning goal for South Carolina in the win. Riley Boychuk, assigned from Rochester of the AHL on Friday, had the lone Gwinnett goal in the loss

Other news….

Streak Snapped: The Gladiators had their five-game regulation unbeaten streak snapped Saturday in South Carolina, falling 3-2 to the Rays. Gwinnett then suffered their worst defeat of the season on Sunday, dropping a 6-1 decision to SC.

Who’s Your Haddad-dy: Forward Joey Haddad had a couple of streak come to an end in South Carolina on 11/19. Haddad had scored at least a goal in five games in a row (tied for the longest streak in the ECHL so far this season) and at least a point in eight games in a row. Haddad had seven goals and five assists over that eight game stretch.

Sauer Steps In: With both Jeff Jakaitis and Marc Cheverie called up to the AHL, goalie Billy Sauer returned to Gwinnett late in the week and stepped right into the starting lineup. Sauer didn’t miss a beat, stopping 20 shots in a 4-2 win over South Carolina on 11/18.

Feels Like the First Time: Two recently assigned rookies picked up their first pro goal and assist this past weekend in South Carolina. Forward Spencer Bennett picked up his first pro assist in the Glads loss on Saturday, and forward Riley Boychuk scored his first pro goal on Sunday.

Potent Power Play: Gwinnett had the special teams working this past weekend. The Glads went a combined 5-for-15 (33.3%) on the man advantage in their three games against the Rays, who ranked in the top-five in penalty killing in the ECHL coming into the weekend.

Join the Club: Gladiators forward Andy Brandt picked up his 3rd goal of the season for the Gladiators in Saturday’s 3-2 loss at South Carolina. For the Wausau, Wisconsin native, it was his 50th goal in his Gladiators career and he becomes just the 7th player in Gladiators history to notch 50 or more goals in a Gwinnett career.