HUNTSVILLE, AL. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (23-11-4) held off the comeback attempt by the Huntsville Havoc (27-8-5) on Sunday evening, notching a 4-3 shootout win at the Von Braun Center. Carson Gallagher scored twice in the shootout including the game-winning goal, Austyn Roudebush stopped 47-of-50 shots faced in the net (plus five more shootout attempts), and Andrew Harley, Mac Jansen, and Joe Widmar all scored goals for Roanoke.
Just 80 seconds into the action, the game was delayed for roughly 30 minutes due to an issue with the glass panes at the Von Braun Center. After the correct fixes were made, it didn’t take the Dawgs long to grab the go-ahead goal. Harley won a faceoff at the left-wing side of the Huntsville zone back to Stephen Alvo, Alvo’s shot from the left-wing point was redirected by Harley and Roanoke took the lead at 2:21. The Havoc would answer at 9:13, as Buster Larsson would slide a puck from the left-wing side to the low slot for a one-time finish by Dylan Stewart that tied the game at 1-1. Huntsville outshot Roanoke 20-10 in the first 20 minutes, but the game was still tied heading to the first intermission.
Huntsville would start the second period on the first of four power plays in the frame after Roanoke’s Brendan Pepe had a tripping penalty in the final second of the first period. The Dawgs had two power play chances of their own, and there was plenty of 4-on-4 action in the middle stanza. Roanoke would find the go-ahead goal during one stretch of 4-on-4 hockey, as Brenden Stanko found an overlapping Jansen in the neutral zone. Jansen flew down the right-wing side into the Huntsville zone, and blasted the puck into the net to make it 2-1 at 12:55. Right as the Dawgs were going shorthanded from another span of 4-on-4 action, Billy Roche’s shot set up a rebound chance for Widmar. Widmar smashed the puck home in the low slot at 15:37 to make it 3-1, giving Roanoke its fifth shorthanded goal of the season. Huntsville’s Jack Jaunich would cut the deficit in half at 17:55, as his power play goal from the high slot found the Roanoke net, but the Dawgs led 3-2 heading to the final frame.
The Dawgs had plenty of chances to find some much needed insurance, but the Havoc still trailed by just one goal when they emptied their net in the final 94 seconds of regulation. Huntsville’s Austin Alger would jam home a rebound chance that tied the game at 3-3 with just 64 seconds left to play, forcing overtime. Roudebush made five more saves in the OT frame to extend the game to a shootout, even with a late penalty in the extra period to Roanoke’s C.J. Valerian. Huntsville scored in the first frame via Phil Elgstam, and Roanoke’s Carson Gallagher would answer on his first try. When it was still tied at one goal a piece after five shootout attempts, Roudebush stopped Elgstam’s shot and Gallagher gave the Dawgs their fifth win in a row when he lifted his backhanded shot to the roof of the net in the bottom of the sixth frame.
Mike Robinson stopped 36-of-40 shots faced in net for the Havoc. Roanoke was 0-for-2 on the power play, and Huntsville went 1-for-5 on its chances.
The Rail Yard Dawgs return home on Thursday, February 20 against the Knoxville Ice Bears at Berglund Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. EST in the Star City. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Michele Hancock