ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (21-10-3) got back in the win column on Saturday night, with a 6-2 blowout over the Pensacola Ice Flyers at Berglund Center. Billy Vizzo and Dillon Radin scored twice each, while Mac Jansen and Stephen Alvo added goals as well.
Roanoke outshot the Ice Flyers 18-9 in the first period, but the Ice Flyers opened the scoring on an Ivan Bondarenko goal at 2:11. That woke up the Dawgs, who answered on a blast by Jansen at 8:53. The Dawgs took the lead and then extended it on consecutive ‘greasy’ goals around the Pensacola net by both Radin and Vizzo. Roanoke carried a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
The second period started with a Pensacola power play and the Dawgs penalty kill unit came up with a huge kill. Radin netted a gorgeous second goal at 8:28 on a perfect pass by Matt O’Dea, but Pensacola swiftly responded as Bondarenko hammered home his second goal of the night at 10:08. The second period scoring screeched to a halt after the ten minute mark, as both teams clamped down defensively and the score stood at 4-2 entering the final period.
Things got chippy in the third period, as 11 total penalties were assessed. Despite the physicality turning up a notch, the Dawgs offense tallied two more goals, as Stephen Alvo found the back of the net for Roanoke’s second power play goal with a missile at 4:50, then Vizzo tallied his second goal on a tip finish from a Dom Marcinkevics shot at 7:20. The Dawgs ended their longest losing streak of the season which came to a close at four games.
Tom Aubrun stopped 22-of-24 shots for Roanoke, while Pensacola’s Brad Arvanitis made 26 saves on 32 shots faced. The Dawgs were 2-for-6 on the power play, while the Ice Flyers went 0-for-3.
Roanoke will stay home on Thursday, February 9 at 10:35 a.m. EST to face the Fayetteville Marksmen at Berglund Center. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available by calling the Rail Yard Dawgs office, visiting the ‘Tickets’ page on our website, or by visiting the Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Brian Collett // BC Captures