DAWGS EARN A POINT IN 3-2 SHOOTOUT LOSS AT PENSACOLA

PENSACOLA, FL. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (18-10-4) conceded a late power play goal to force post-regulation, then came up short in the shootout against the Pensacola Ice Flyers (13-20-5) in a 3-2 loss on Saturday night at the Pensacola Bay Center. Bryce Martin and Carson Gallagher each scored for Roanoke, while Austyn Roudebush stopped 39-of-41 shots faced in net for the Dawgs.

It was another slow start for Roanoke, as the Ice Flyers got on the board within the first half-minute of the action. Ivan Bondarenko turned a turnover by the Dawgs deep in their zone into a quick scoring chance for Pensacola, and his finish from the low slot made it 1-0 just 29 seconds into the game. Both teams would have one power play chance in the frame that would each come up empty, and the Dawgs ended up finding their equalizer at 11:18. Andrew Harley held the puck up for Jacob Kelly in the neutral zone, as Kelly took the puck from his linemate and sped down the left-wing side into the Pensacola end. As he reached the goal line, Kelly centered the puck back for the trailer at the back post, and Martin’s one-time finish made it a 1-1 game. The Dawgs would generate 17 shots on goal in the first period alone, but it was still 1-1 when the first intermission arrived.

Both teams continued to generate plenty of chances in the middle frame, as Roanoke had a 14-13 shots on goal advantage in the second period, and the count was at 31-25 in favor of the Dawgs by the end of 40 minutes. Roanoke killed off two Pensacola power play, while the Ice Flyers killed off one chance for the Dawgs. Pensacola would hit the Roanoke crossbar once, and former Danbury Hat Tricks’ teammates Johnny Macdonald (Roanoke) and Sam Dabrowski (Pensacola) would drop the gloves, but it was still a 1-1 game heading to the third period. The Dawgs would receive 1:15 of power play time early in the third period from penalties extending back to the second frame.

Roanoke would go ahead early in the third period after the early power play chance in the period wasn’t capitalized upon. A shot from the left-wing point by Macdonald was flicked on net by Gallagher in the low slot at the 5:12 mark to give the Dawgs their first lead of the weekend. Two late power play chances finally gave the Ice Flyers enough chances to find the game’s tying goal, as Sam Dabrowski tipped in Dante Fantauzzi’s center-point shot at 17:43 to tie the game at 2-all. The Dawgs would have all five of the shots on goal in overtime, and even had a late power play chance themselves, but the five-minute extra frame ended with no scoring. Pensacola’s Tim Faulkner and Cayden Cahill each scored on the first two shootout attempts, and Roanoke failed to score in its four tries.

Brody Claeys stopped 41-of-43 shots faced in net for the Ice Flyers. Roanoke was 0-for-4 on the power play, and Pensacola went 1-for-5 on its chances.

The Rail Yard Dawgs stay on the road on Sunday, February 2 against the Macon Mayhem at the Macon Coliseum. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:00 P.M. EST in Georgia. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.

Photo Credit: Paula Greenway