FAYETTEVILLE, NC. – The Rail Yard Dawgs lost in regulation for the first time since November 19, falling 5-3 to the Fayetteville Marksmen at Crown Coliseum on Tuesday. Brendan Pepe, Matt O’Dea, and Billy Vizzo tallied goals for Roanoke.
The game was back-and-forth the whole way, starting from the puck drop. An early Marksmen power play quickly yielded a Carlos Fornaris goal at 2:06 to give the hosts the lead. Pepe was able to tip a Stephen Alvo shot for his first goal as a Dawg at 6:31 to tie the score for Roanoke. A breakaway goal by Bryan Moore at 16:32 pushed Fayetteville back in front, and the Marksmen led 2-1 at the first intermission.
The Dawgs turned defense into offense in the middle frame, starting with the game-tying goal by O’Dea. The defenseman ripped the puck away from Moore and then found the Fayetteville net at 4:13 to tie the score. A pretty one-two pass started by Nick Mangone allowed him to tip a centered pass into the cage at 12:06 to put the Marksmen up 3-2. Roanoke quickly answered as Vizzo blasted a Dom Marcinkevics feed for his fifth goal in four games to tie the score back at 3-3 at 13:08. Fayetteville got a goal from a set faceoff play, as Brian Bowen pushed the Marksmen back ahead 4-3 at 15:24, and held that advantage into the final period.
It was all Roanoke offensively in the third period, as the Dawgs outshot Fayetteville 13-5 in the frame. A few great chances were miraculously kept out by Fayetteville’s Jason Pawloski, who held onto the lead for the Marksmen. An empty net goal for Bowen with nine seconds left sealed Fayetteville’s first win over the Dawgs in its last five tries.
Austyn Roudebush stopped 23-of-27 shots for Roanoke, while Pawloski made 27 stops on 30 shots faced for Fayetteville. Roanoke failed on its only power play chance, while the Marksmen went 1-for-2.
Roanoke will return home to host the Quad City Storm on Thursday, December 29 at 7:05 p.m. at Berglund Center.. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available by calling the Rail Yard Dawgs office, visiting the ‘Tickets’ page on our website, or by visiting the Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Michele Hancock // Field Pass Hockey