FAYETTEVILLE, NC. – The Rail Yard Dawgs never got going on Friday night, falling 7-2 to the Fayetteville Marksmen at Crown Coliseum. Brady Heppner and Travis Armstrong scored for Roanoke.
The Dawgs never really got going in the first period, as Bryan Moore opened the scoring at the 3:38 mark in the opening frame. Shane Bednard doubled the advantage with a power play goal after a high-sticking call that went against Roanoke’s Austin Anselmo. That scoreline held entering the first intermission.
The second period featured more of the same for Roanoke. Drake Glover made it 3-0 Marksmen less than three minutes into the frame, and Tommy Besinger gave Fayetteville a four-goal lead with just under 14 minutes left in the second period. Roanoke’s Austyn Roudebush was pulled from the net for Henry Dill in between the third and fourth Fayetteville goals. A blue-line blast by Vincenzo Renda late in the period gave Fayetteville a 5-0 lead entering the second intermission.
Glover scored again just 2:13 into the final period to make it 6-0, before Armstrong buried a rebound to get the Dawgs on the board with 10:44 left to play. Heppner made it two quick goals just two minutes later, but a late score at the end of Roanoke’s lone power play of the night on a breakaway by Jarret Kup left a sour taste in the mouths of the Dawgs in the 7-2 defeat.
Roudebush saved 12-of-15 shots that he faced, while Dill saved 14-of-18 shots in relief for Roanoke. Fayetteville’s Brent Moran saved 21-of-23 shots that he faced.
The Rail Yard Dawgs stay on the road tomorrow night to face the Fayetteville Marksmen. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST. Wisler Plumbing and Air Family Four Packs, group tickets, 2022-2023 season tickets, and single game tickets for home games are on sale now, and you can listen to the games on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network via Mixlr or watch it on HockeyTV.