ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (17-9-3) dominated the Fayetteville Marksmen (18-14-2) on Friday night, using their forechecking pressure to create easy offense in a 5-0 shutout victory on Mighty Dawgs Night at Berglund Center. Austyn Roudebush had a 26-save shutout in net for Roanoke, Tommy Munichiello had one goal and two assists, Billy Roche had a shorthanded goal, and Nick Ford, Carson Gallagher, and Brenden Stanko all added goals for the Dawgs.
Both teams struggled to settle in during the first few minutes of the first period, but the Dawgs slowly gained control of the game in the opening 20 minutes. Roanoke enjoyed a 12-6 shots on goal advantage and also had a power play chance, but it took until the 18:26 mark for the Dawgs to open the scoring at full strength. Ford won a faceoff at the right-wing circle, and Gustav Müller and Mac Jansen combined to work the puck back to the Roanoke captain. His shot from the right-wing dot squeezed by at the short-side post, putting the Dawgs in front 1-0 late in the opening frame.
The game was much cleaner offensively in the middle period, as the teams combined for 30 shots on goal. Fayetteville had two power plays and Roanoke had one, but the 1-0 scoreline held until the final four minutes of the period. An interception by Munichiello during a Fayetteville power play sprung the Dawgs for a shorthanded chance, and Bryce Martin’s centering feed was squared into the net at the back post by Roche at 16:19. The Dawgs added on quickly from that second goal, as the high work rate of Munichiello, Gallagher, and Matt O’Dea deep in the Fayetteville zone enabled a shot by Munichiello. The puck kicked out to Gallagher, and he manuevered his way from the left-wing circle to the low slot before lifting the puck to the top-right corner of the net to make it 3-0 at 18:40. Roanoke would take that three-goal cushion into the second intermission.
Even with a three-goal deficit, Fayetteville couldn’t manage any offense against the Dawgs as the Roanoke forecheck continued to squeeze the life out of any potential chances for the Marksmen. Roanoke outshot Fayetteville 18-4 in the final 20 minutes, and the Dawgs would add on to their lead. Stanko steered home his first goal of the year after a wild scramble for the puck in the Fayetteville crease at the 12:06 mark to make it 4-0 for Roanoke. It wouldn’t take long for the fifth goal to come, as the great pressure once again by the line of Munichiello, Gallagher, and O’Dea forced a turnover by Fayetteville, and enabled Gallagher to find Munichiello for the one-time slapshot at 13:29 to make it 5-0. The Dawgs continued to suffocate Fayetteville down the stretch for the blowout win, and the victory marked the 96th of Roudebush’s SPHL career between the pipes. The win moved Roudebush into a tie for third-place in the league’s history for wins by a goaltender, tying him with Eric Levine.
Ryan Kenny stopped 39-of-44 shots faced in net for the Marksmen. Roanoke was 0-for-3 on the power play, and Fayetteville went 0-for-2 on its chances.
The Rail Yard Dawgs go on the road on Saturday, January 25 against the Fayetteville Marksmen at Crown Coliseum. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 P.M. EST in North Carolina. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: David Ingraham