For Immediate Release:
January 11, 2019
DAWGS EDGED BY MARKSMEN, 3-2
Jesse Schwartz and Zach Nieminen each record two points in loss
ROANOKE, Va. – Jesse Schwartz scored to tie the game at two in the third but the Rail Yard Dawgs gave up a late goal and ultimately fell to the Fayetteville Marksmen, 3-2, Friday night at Berglund Center.
With Roanoke trailing 2-1 in the third period, Vojtech Zemlicka slung a pass forward to Zach Nieminen. He redirected it with his skate and hit Schwartz in stride who sprinted in with a breakaway. Schwartz deked to his backhand and slid the puck five hole through Nathan Perry, tying the game at two,
The Rail Yard Dawgs would surrender that lead with just over five minutes to play in the third. Jake Hauswirth won a faceoff back to Brian Bowen, who took one stride and fired a wrist shot through traffic. It sailed in and beat Tanner Creel high on the glove side to give Fayetteville the lead.
That would prove to be the game-winning goal as the Dawgs mounted some pressure and pulled Creel for the extra attacker in the third but could not grab the equalizer. Roanoke fell by a final score of 3-2.
Creel made 20 saves on 23 shots in the losing effort. Perry stopped 26 of the 28 he faced.
Fayetteville got on the board first in the opening period when Mike Casale sprung Cody Brown down the right wing. He let loose a wrist shot that beat Creel high and the Marksmen took a 1-0 lead.
The Dawgs answered late in the second with a gritty goal. They worked it toward the front of the net and Scwhartz put a shot on that Perry blocked. Roanoke continued to hack at the puck and eventually Nieminen poked it home, tying the game at one.
Fayetteville regained the lead in the second period when Darren McCormack finished off some pretty passing on a power play.
Schwartz and Nieminen each had a goal and an assist for the Dawgs in the losing effort. Roanoke fell to 14-13-0 while Fayetteville won its sixth straight game and improved to 13-11-3. The Rail Yard Dawgs and Marksmen will complete their home-and-home set on Saturday night in Fayetteville. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 PM at the Crown Coliseum and the pregame show on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network begins at 5:45 PM.
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