ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs outskated the Pensacola Ice Flyers for most of the game on Saturday night, but fell 4-3 in overtime on Superhero Night at Berglund Center. Jesse Anderson, Brady Heppner, and Brant Sherwood scored goals for Roanoke.
The first period saw Pensacola take an early lead for the second straight night via Brandon Tucker just 24 seconds into the action. A shorthanded goal from Brennan Blaszczak doubled the Pensacola lead at the 15:04 mark, but Anderson fired in Roanoke’s first goal to make it 2-1 in the final two minutes of the opening period. The Ice Flyers led 2-1 entering the first intermission.
Roanoke turned up the wick in the second period, riding off of the momentum of Heppner’s shorthanded goal that tied the game at 2-2 at the 3:49 mark. Nearly 10 minutes later, Sherwood tipped a shot by Dillon Hill into the net to give the Dawgs their first lead of the weekend, but Weiland Parrish tied the game right back up for Pensacola just one minute and 12 seconds later. The game remained tied at 3-3 entering the final period of regulation.
The third period didn’t feature many shots for either side, as both teams failed to score on one power play chance each. That forced the game into overtime, where each side saw solid chances denied by each goaltender. With 27.4 seconds left in the extra period, Dylan Carabia scored a controversial game-winner right as the net was being popped off of its pegs, but the goal stood to give Pensacola the 4-3 victory.
Austyn Roudebush saved 21-of-25 shots that he faced for Roanoke, while former Dawg Cody Karpinski stopped 26-of-29 shots for Pensacola. The Ice Flyers went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Roanoke went 0-for-4 on its chances.
The Rail Yard Dawgs are back home tomorrow afternoon against Pensacola at 3:05 p.m. EST to wrap up the three-game series. Wisler Plumbing and Air Family Four Packs, group tickets, 2022-2023 season tickets, and single game tickets for home games are on sale now, and you can listen to the games on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network via Mixlr or watch it on HockeyTV.
Photo Credit: Brian Collett