DAWGS DROPPED 5-2 IN ROAD LOSS AT QUAD CITY

MOLINE, IL. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (14-9-2) struggled on the road on Saturday night, taking a 5-2 loss to the Quad City Storm (13-14-3) at Vibrant Arena. Mac Jansen and Tommy Munichiello each scored one goal for Roanoke in the defeat.

It didn’t take long for Quad City to open the scoring, as they netted the lone goal of the first period on the game’s opening shift. A drop pass at the left-wing goalline by Leif Mattson teed up a one-time finish from the low slot by Weiland Parrish just 29 seconds in. Roanoke’s Aidan Girduckis dropped the gloves for his first professional fight with Quad City’s Cole Crowder at 2:19, and both teams each had one power play in the first 20 minutes. Carson Gallagher would hit the crossbar on Roanoke’s power play, but that’s the closest the Dawgs came to tying the score before the first period came to a close.

The momentum started to turn Roanoke’s way early in the second period, as they registered seven of the period’s first nine shots on goal out of the intermission. The Dawgs couldn’t find an equalizer in the first 10 minutes of the frame, and the Storm quickly wrestled the game back in their favor. Artyom Zhuk made it 2-0 at 10:37, and Jacob Gagnon added another just 64 seconds later at 11:41. The Dawgs had a power play chance, but Mattson skated the puck end-to-end and finished off his own rebound from a breakaway chance for a shorthanded goal at 14:23, forcing the Dawgs to pull goaltender Austyn Roudebush for Tyler Roy. Jansen would hit the post for the Dawgs late in the frame, but Roanoke trailed 4-0 at the second intermission.

Quad City would add its fifth goal just after a power play chance expired early in the third period, as Dillon Fournier roofed the puck to the top left corner of the Roanoke cage at 6:48. Fournier was involved in the next noteworthy altercation, collecting 14 penalty minutes during a Roanoke power play after he went after Dawgs rookie Gustav Müller. The Dawgs would light the lamp on the ensuing 5-on-3 advantage, as Jansen’s one-timer at the left-wing dot off of the feed of Nick Ford got Roanoke on the board at 12:12. Roanoke’s Andrew Harley had his first pro fight with Jordan Henderson of Quad City with just over two minutes left, and then the Dawgs would add one more tally when Munichiello steered home Bryce Martin’s centering pass with just 19.9 seconds left to help the scoreline for Roanoke. The weekend sweep by Quad City marked the first time that the Dawgs had been swept since opening weekend against Fayetteville

Roudebush saved 13-of-17 shots faced, while Roy turned away 10-of-11 shots in relief for the Dawgs. Brent Moran stopped 35-of-37 shots faced in net for the Storm. Quad City went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Roanoke went 1-for-5 on its chances.

The Rail Yard Dawgs return home on Thursday, January 16 against the Macon Mayhem at Berglund Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. EST in the Star City. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.

Photo Credit: Will Journiette