Aug. 25, 2008

The Gwinnett Gladiators announced today that they have signed goaltender Charlie Effinger for the 2008-09 season.

Effinger becomes the first goaltender signed by the Gladiators for the upcoming season. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound netminder posted a perfect 6-0-0 record during his senior season with Miami University in Ohio last year. He finished the season notching a 2.16 goals against average and a .912 save percentage in 6 games while posting a 4-0-0 record during CCHA conference play.

The Belleville, Illinois native had a career year during his sophomore season appearing in 19 games and ranking first in the CCHA in both goals-against average (1.83) and save percentage (.931). He was also ranked second nationally in both categories. During his sophomore season in 2005-06, Effinger was named the CCHA's best goaltender and was named to the All-CCHA Second Team while he was honored as Miami's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Effinger became the first RedHawks netminder to earn all-CCHA honors since the 1996-97 season when Trevor Prior, who played for Gwinnett during the 2003-04 season, earned all-CCHA honors.

During his four-year collegiate career, Effinger appeared in 53 games with the RedHawks while posting a 32-12-4 record. He finished with a .912 save percentage and a 2.35 goals against average and two shutouts.

Began in 1988-89 with five teams playing in four states, the Premier AA' Hockey League has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 23 teams in 16 states and British Columbia playing 864 games from Oct. 17, 2008 to Apr. 4, 2009.