For Immediate Release:
March 15, 2019
DAWGS STUNG BY THUNDERBOLTS, 7-5
Colin Murray notches a goal and an assist in loss
EVANSVILLE, In. – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs traded blows with the Evansville Thunderbolts but ultimately were beaten, 7-5, Friday night at the Ford Center. Colin Murray had a goal and an assist Evansville’s Shayne Morrissey netted a hat trick in the Thunderbolts win.
The Dawgs struck first in the opening period when Murray burned down the left wing and swung below the net. He fed a trailing Mac Jansen for a one-timer that he blasted past Alex Murray to make the score 1-0.
Evansville answered two minutes later though as Morrissey fed Tommy Besinger off a two-on-one rush. Besinger tucked a backhander under a lunging Jacob Caffrey and the game was tied. The Thunderbolts took the advantage later in the period when Morrissey was fed for a one-timer on the power play, pushing the score to 2-1.
Roanoke tied the game late in the period with a power play goal of its own. Adrian Carbonara kicked a loose puck to Murray who sent it home top shelf to make it 2-2.
The Thunderbolts jumped back ahead early in the second after Nathan Ferriero picked up a loose puck off a turnover in the Dawgs end and jammed it under Caffrey before he could recover. Roanoke answered when Cody Dion fed Jeff Jones for a goal on the back door but Evansville took the lead again on Morrissey’s second of the game.
An Alex Adams slap shot found its way to the back of the net on a power play near the halfway point of the second, again evening the score at four. Evansville answered though after the Dawgs turned the puck over at center ice while working on a power play. A two-on-one rush ended with TJ Roche jamming home a rebound, giving the Thunderbolts a 5-4 lead.
That would be it for Caffrey who was pulled after allowing five goals on 17 shots. Henry Dill replaced him in the Roanoke net with 6:08 to play in the second period.
The Rail Yard Dawgs again tied the game late in the second while working on a power play. Steve Mele curled into the slot and ripped a wrist shot that beat Murray and tied the game at five.
In the third with the Thunderbolts on a power play, Ferriero took a puck below the net and wrapped it around to the far post. He beat Dill to that post and snuck the shot through, giving Evansville the lead.
The Dawgs pulled Dill for an extra attacker in the final minutes but could not even the score. Morrissey ended up tacking on an empty net goal to earn a hat trick and cement the Thunderbolts win, 7-5.
Murray finished with a goal and an assist, Jordan Carvalho had two assists and Dill made 14 saves on 15 shots in relief. The Rail Yard Dawgs magic number to clinch a postseason spot moved to two despite the loss as the Quad City Storm fell to the Fayetteville Marksmen in Fayetteville, 5-3. A Roanoke win or a Quad City loss on Saturday would clinch a spot for the Dawgs.
The Rail Yard Dawgs moved to 23-22-4 in the loss while Evansville improved to 11-33-5. Roanoke will again face the Thunderbolts on Saturday night at the Ford Center at 7:15 PM CDT. The pregame show on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network begins at 7:00 PM CDT.
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