For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2020
DAWGS TIE IT LATE TO FORCE OT BUT FALL, 5-4
Jeff Jones scores with 32 seconds left to force OT and earn standings point
MOLINE, Ill. – Jeff Jones scored shorthanded with just 32 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game and force overtime but Connor Fries netted the game-winner and the Quad City Storm beat the Rail Yard Dawgs in OT, 5-4, Saturday night at the TaxSlayer Center. Roanoke settled for one standings point in the overtime loss.
With the Dawgs trailing, 4-3, in the final two minutes of the third period, Matt O’Dea was whistled for a hooking penalty that sent Roanoke to the penalty kill. While on that PK, Nate O’Brien hit Jones with a pass down the attacking left wing boards and charged the net. Jones tried to feed a pass in front to O’Brien but it was blocked and bounced back to his stick. Jones then carried it below the net and quickly wrapped it around the far post and in, tying the game at four.
In overtime, the Storm got the puck loose in the neutral zone and Cole Golka brought it over the blue line. He hit a trailing Fries who roofed a wrist shot past Henry Dill for the game-winning goal.
Roanoke moved to 16-22-8 in the overtime loss while Quad City improved to 16-20-7. The Dawgs held in seventh place in the SPHL standings and the Storm jumped into eighth.
Quad City took the lead in the first on goals from Stephen Gaul and Ryan Devine. Roanoke answered late in the period when Brad Riccardi fed O’Dea for a slap shot that worked through traffic and hit the back of the net to push it to 2-1.
The Storm got their lead back to two early in the second when Shane Bennett toe-dragged around the defense and beat Austyn Roudebush with a deke. That would be it for Roudebush who was pulled in favor of Dill after allowing three goals on 11 shots.
Roanoke again brought itself within one as Riccardi finished on an odd-man rush. The Storm answered with Bennett feeding Golka for a tap-in but Matt Beer finished a rebound with the Dawgs shorthanded to bring the score to 4-3.
O’Brien had two assists, Riccardi finished with a goal and an assist and Dill made 14 saves on 16 shots faced in relief. Roanoke will finish its weekend road swing on Sunday afternoon in Peoria. Puck drop at Carver Arena is scheduled for 4:05 PM.
###