HUNTSVILLE, AL. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (24-12-7) kept battling all night on Saturday night, taking down the Huntsville Havoc (21-15-7) in a 4-3 overtime win at the Von Braun Center. The second goal of the night for CJ Stubbs was the game-winner, while Stephen Alvo and Owen McDade also scored for the Dawgs. Roanoke pulled off the road victory to jump into third place in the SPHL standings, despite never holding a lead in the game.
It was a fast start for Huntsville, as two goals in the span of 47 seconds put them in front in the early minutes of the game. A centering pass by Kyle Clarke found Cole Reginato all alone in the low slot, and he squared it home at 5:32 to open the scoring. A defensive zone faceoff win by the Havoc enabled a long, looping clearance to drop into the Roanoke zone, and Buster Larsson won the race and centered the puck to Dylan Stewart for another score at 6:19 to make it 2-0. The Dawgs settled in from there, registering 10 of the last 14 shots on goal in the period, but Roanoke still trailed by a pair after 20 minutes.
The second period was all Roanoke, as the Dawgs notched 18 of the period’s first 20 shots on goal. The visitors finally got on the board at 6:37, when a shot by Billy Roche led to a rebound finish for Stubbs, who was screening in front of the Huntsville net. The Dawgs would tie the game at 2-2 at the 14:04 mark, after a wild net-front scramble finally came to an end when Alvo hammered the puck into the net. Huntsville would reinstate its lead at 17:47 on a rebound tally by Eric Henderson, but the Dawgs trailed just 3-2 at the second intermission after outshooting the Havoc 20-7 in the period.
Roanoke kept the pressure on the Havoc in the third period, holding Huntsville to just five shots on goal. Still, the Dawgs were held at bay for most of the frame as they tried to find the tying goal. After the Dawgs emptied their net for an extra attacker, that equalizing goal finally came when McDade finished off a rebound in a net-front scrum at 17:49. McDade’s goal forced the game into overtime, the third time in four games between the Dawgs and Havoc at Huntsville this season that post-regulation was needed. In overtime, Stubbs intercepted an outlet pass and found Alex DiCarlo at the left wing circle, and DiCarlo slipped it back to the front of the net for Stubbs to hammer home.
Austyn Roudebush stopped 22-of-25 shots for Roanoke, while Huntsville’s Brian Wilson saved 39-of-43 shots faced in net. Both teams went 0-for-1 on the power play.
The Rail Yard Dawgs will return home on Friday night, March 1, to take on the Knoxville Ice Bears. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 P.M. EST at Berglund Center, and you can watch the game on Flo or listen for free on Mixlr. Ticket packages, group tickets, and single game tickets are on sale now by contacting the Rail Yard Dawgs office or visiting the Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Bryar Turner
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