MACON, GA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (25-11-4) mounted a late comeback over the Macon Mayhem (17-21-3) on Friday night, stealing a 3-1 win at the Macon Coliseum. Carson Gallagher had two goals and one assist, Austyn Roudebush stopped 34-of-35 shots faced in the net, Stephen Alvo added a goal, and both Tommy Munichiello and Brenden Stanko recorded assists for Roanoke as the Dawgs won for the seventh consecutive game.
Both teams generated chances back and forth in the first half of the opening period, but Macon took control of the tempo in the final 10 minutes of the first frame. Two power plays for the Mayhem created many good scoring opportunities, but Roudebush was rock solid in net for the Dawgs to keep the game scoreless. Despite being outshot 15-6 by Macon in the opening 20 minutes of action, Roanoke entered the first intermission to a 0-0 scoreline.
The second period saw the Dawgs concede a tough opening goal of the game, as Macon’s Yaroslav Yevdokimov potted a wide-open breakaway chance at 5:54 after Roanoke defenseman Stephen Alvo had fallen to the ice with an injury in the middle of the play. The Dawgs had potential looks to tie the score, as forwards Jimmy O’Kane, Brenden Stanko, and Tommy Munichiello came the closest to getting the visitors on the board, but Roanoke trailed 1-0 heading to the final frame of regulation.
The comeback was launched early in the third period, with the Munichiello-Stanko-Gallagher line leading the way. A turnover forced by Stanko was pried free by Gallagher at his own blue line, springing a 2-on-1 odd-man rush with the rookie winger and Munichiello. After a give-and-go, Gallagher roofed the puck into the Macon cage at 1:44 to tie the score. Both teams had chances back and forth to take the lead, but it was still a 1-1 game with five minutes left. A Roanoke clearance came to Macon goaltender Josh Boyko at the right goa lline, and Boyko’s clearance went straight to Gallagher at the right-wing dot. Gallagher buried the gifted puck into the open net at 15:08 to give the Dawgs their first lead of the night. Just 40 seconds later, Gallagher nearly smashed home a shot to complete his hat trick after Stanko found him in the low slot, but collected his loose puck at the bottom of the left-wing circle. He would find a streaking Alvo skating down the slot, and the Roanoke defenseman smashed the puck home to make it 3-1 at 15:48.
Boyko stopped 23-of-26 shots faced in net for the Mayhem. Roanoke received zero power plays, and Macon went 0-for-2 on its chances.
The Rail Yard Dawgs stay on the road on Saturday, February 22 against the Macon Mayhem at Macon Coliseum. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 P.M. EST in Georgia. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Michele Hancock