For Immediate Release:
March 28, 2017
DAWGS DROPPED IN KNOXVILLE, 6-4
Roanoke allows four unanswered goals in third period
KNOXVILLE, TN – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs allowed four unanswered goals in the third period, erasing what was a 4-2 lead as they were defeated by the Knoxville Ice Bears, 6-4, Tuesday night at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.
With the game tied at four and under two minutes to play, the Rail Yard Dawgs turned the puck over in their own zone. Andrew Bonazza slid a pass to his left where Berkley Scott was waiting. He fired a wrist shot over Ryan de Melo’s blocker side and gave Knoxville a 5-4 lead.
The Ice Bears added the exclamation point with an empty net goal from Danny Cesarz to make it 6-4.
Roanoke got on the board first in the first period. Justin Stevens took a shot from the point that found its way through to put the Rail Yard Dawgs on the board. It was Stevens’ first career goal and it gave the Dawgs a 1-0 lead.
Knoxville answered off the ensuing faceoff however, working the puck deep and creating a scrum around Ryan de Melo’s net. Jake Rivera was eventually able to poke it across the goal line, tying the game at one.
The Dawgs got one back late in the period. Evan Schultz took the puck in the slot and teed up Peter Gintoli just inside the blue line. Gintoli fired a slap shot that darted into the net to make it 2-1.
Roanoke struck again early in the second when Phil Bronner backhanded a shot off the post that Daniel Vernace was waiting on the doorstep. Vernace chiped the rebound into the net, extending the lead to 3-1.
Knoxville brought itself within one again when Bonazza struck four minutes later. The Dawgs again extended the lead to two in the final minutes of the period as Nick Schneider one-timed a rebound from the right circle past Brian Billet, pushing the lead to 4-2.
Cesarz opened the scoring in the third by beating de Melo on a modified breakaway. John Rey then tied the game at four just shy of the halfway point in the period with a shot from the right wing that snuck through five hole.
Vernace finished with a goal and an assist, de Melo made 26 saves on 31 shots and both Stevens and Schultz recorded their first professional points in the losing effort.
The Rail Yard Dawgs dropped to 16-28-8 with the loss while the Ice Bears improved to 27-18-7. Roanoke will next take the ice on Friday night in Macon against the Mayhem. Puck drop at the Macon Coliseum is scheduled for 7:30 PM.
2017-18 Rail Yard Dawgs season tickets are on sale now! Seats can be reserved by visiting the Rail Yard Dawgs office inside of the Berglund Center or over the phone at 540-344-3294.
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