ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Thursday that rookie forward Tim Manning has signed a player tryout contract (PTO) with the team. Additionally, Roanoke has activated both defenseman Bryce Martin and forward/defenseman Matt O’Dea from the injured reserve. Rookie forward Andrew Harley has been placed on the 14-day injured reserve list, retroactive to March 1.
Manning joins the Dawgs out of Albertus Magnus College (NCAA-DIII), where he played previously with former Dawg Gustav Müller. The five-foot-ten forward had a strong career at Albertus Magnus, notching 28 goals, 32 assists, 38 penalty minutes, and a plus-25 rating in 97 career collegiate games. Manning had 21 points as a sophomore in the 2022-23 season, then had back-to-back seasons with 17 points before turning pro with Roanoke. Prior to college, the Concord, Ohio native had junior hockey experience in the NAHL, EHL, and USPHL Premier in addition to being the captain for two seasons at Holderness School (USHS).
Martin had been rolling for the Dawgs in his return to Roanoke this season, registering three goals, 16 assists, a plus-six rating, and 61 penalty minutes in 30 games since he was signed back in late October before missing the last 11 games while on the injured reserve. The five-foot-nine defenseman previously played in 53 regular season games for the Rail Yard Dawgs between 2019-2023, tallying 13 assists and 80 penalty minutes while adding three assists, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-three rating in nine games during the 2022 President’s Cup Playoffs. Martin had not appeared for Roanoke since he was called up to the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder on February 23, 2023 prior to returning this year. Martin has played in 49 ECHL games since 2021, recording three goals, one assist, and 47 minutes during stints with Adirondack, the South Carolina Stingrays, and the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The Fort Erie, Ontario native finished last season in Finland (Mestis) with FPS, notching one goal, eight assists, and 40 penalty minutes in 11 total games. Martin also put up seven goals, 11 assists, and 67 penalty minutes during the course of two seasons in the FPHL from 2019-2021.
One of the most versatile players in the SPHL, O’Dea is in his sixth professional season and his fifth in Roanoke, serving as one of the team’s alternate captains in each of the past three seasons. This year, the 30-year-old has split time between center and defenseman, racking up six goals, 19 assists, 41 penalty minutes, and a plus-five rating in 32 games played before missing the last five games while on the injured reserve. Last season, the five-foot-eleven speedster tallied eight goals, 32 assists, a plus-six rating, and 16 penalty minutes in just 44 regular season games on his way to being named to the All-SPHL Second Team, and added five assists during the 2024 President’s Cup Playoffs. O’Dea has also earned the SPHL’s Player of the Week in each of the past two seasons. Since joining the Dawgs during the 2019-2020 season, the Orland Park, Illinois native is the all-time franchise leader among defensemen for goals (42), assists (102), and points (144), and games played (208), only trailing Mac Jansen for the most games played by a Roanoke player in team history. O’Dea has been among the best offensive producers from the blue line in the SPHL over the past four years, registering 38 goals (second-most among SPHL defensemen) and 144 points (second-most among SPHL defensemen). In 23 career postseason games for the Dawgs, O’Dea has two goals, 12 assists, and a plus-14 rating to go along with his 2023 President’s Cup championship ring. O’Dea also won the FPHL Ignite Cup with the Columbus River Dragons during the coronavirus-impacted season in 2021. O’Dea additionally played four seasons of college hockey (NCAA-DIII), starting at Concordia College before playing his last three seasons at Western New England University.
The Rail Yard Dawgs hit the road against the Birmingham Bulls on Friday, March 7 at the Pelham Civic Complex. Puck drop is slated for 8:05 P.M. EST in Alabama. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Keith Lucas (O’Dea) // David Ingraham (Martin)
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