For Immediate Release:
January 10, 2020
DAWGS ERPUT FOR FIVE GOALS, DROP BULLS, 5-4
Lincoln Griffin scores twice in Roanoke victory
ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs took control with four goals in the second period and hung on to beat the Birmingham Bulls, 5-4, Friday night at Berglund Center. Roanoke won for the third consecutive game and now has points in each of its last four.
Following a scoreless first period, the Rail Yard Dawgs offense exploded in the second. Birmingham took an early 1-0 lead on a Mike Davis power play goal but the Dawgs quickly answered thanks to some puck luck. CJ Stubbs sent a pass toward Brant Sherwood on the back door that deflected off a skate on its way and caromed into the net, tying the score at one.
The Dawgs would then take the lead two minutes later with a power play tally of their own. Lincoln Griffin went give-and-go with Austin Daae and skated into the slot. He ripped a wrist shot top shelf and beat Artt Brey to make it 2-1.
Birmingham answered quickly with a Cole Stallard goal to tie things at two but Griffin would eventually give Roanoke the lead back. The Dawgs fired a series of shots on net that Brey stopped but could not cover. Griffin scooped up the puck in the crease and hammered it home on the back post to make the score, 3-2.
Roanoke grabbed some insurance in the final seconds of the second, again on the power play. With just four seconds on the clock, Mac Jansen fired a wrist shot from the point that got through traffic and snuck past Brey, extending the lead to two.
In the third, the Bulls got within one again as Kasey Kulczycki hammered home a rebound from the left wing circle. Another Roanoke power play goal though pushed the lead back to two when Chris Lijdsman bombed a slap shot from the blue line that went in top shelf. Birmingham put some pressure on with a late goal from Josh Harris but the Rail Yard Dawgs hung on in the end and dropped the Bulls, 5-4.
Griffin led the way with two goals, Stubbs and Lijdsman each had a goal and an assist and Colton Wolter extended his point streak to eight games with an assist, matching a franchise record. Roanoke won its third straight game and now has points in four in a row.
The Rail Yard Dawgs improved to 8-13-4 in the win while Birmingham fell to 7-14-4. Roanoke will now head down to Alabama to play the second half of the home-and-home with the Bulls on Saturday night at the Pelham Civic Complex. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 PM and the pregame show on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network begins at 7:45 PM.
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