ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (7-5-1) came up with a clutch power play goal in the final minute on Black Friday, taking down the Fayetteville Marksmen (9-4-1) in a 3-2 win at Berglund Center. Mac Jansen snapped home the game-winner with just 26 seconds left, Nick Ford had a goal and an assist, Tommy Munichiello extended his goal streak to four games, Bryce Martin had three assists, and Austyn Roudebush stopped 32-of-34 shots faced in net for the Dawgs.
Roanoke wasted no time in the opening frame, scoring on the first shift. Jansen found Martin streaking into the Fayetteville zone, and Martin dished it backhanded to the low slot for Ford to smash home just 49 seconds into the game. Both teams had nine shots on goal in the first period, and the Dawgs even had three power plays after their opening tally, but the 1-0 scoreline held into the first intermission.
An early power play chance in the second period set the Marksmen up to tie the score at 1-all. A deflected pass toward the slot by Fayetteville’s Tyler Barrow was nudged along by Dalton Hunter to knot the game up at 1:43. The Marksmen had the Dawgs on their heels in the first half of the period, but the Dawgs began to respond in the latter half of the frame. A deflected pass by Martin fell right into the path of Munichiello, and his snipe at 14:02 from the right-wing circle pushed the Dawgs back in front before the second intermission arrived.
The third period saw the ice tilt in Roanoke’s favor initially, as the Dawgs outshot the Marksmen 7-3 at one point in the frame. A breakaway opportunity would however change the direction of the game, as Hunter made no mistakes on his second goal of the night at 12:35 and the Marksmen tied the game at 2-2. A late power play would give Roanoke another chance to end it in regulation, and a pass by Ford found Jansen in the final 26 seconds of the game. Jansen turned on the one-timer at the left-wing circle for his 90th career goal as a Rail Yard Dawg, and Roanoke took the 3-2 victory at home.
Ryan Kenny saved 29-of-32 shots faced in net for Fayetteville. Fayetteville went 1-for-4 on the power play, while Roanoke went 1-for-6 on its chances.
The Rail Yard Dawgs will hit the road on Friday, December 6 against the Knoxville Ice Bears at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. EST in Tennessee. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Keith Lucas