For Immediate Release:
March 1, 2019
DILL, DAWGS, DROP STORM, 3-2
Goaltender stops 33 in first start for Roanoke
MOLINE, Il. – Henry Dill made 33 saves, Steve Mele dished out a pair of assists and the Rail Yard Dawgs dropped the Quad City Storm, 3-2, Friday night at TaxSlayer Center.
The Rail Yard Dawgs struck first just two and a half minutes into the game. Colin Murray won a race to a loose puck in the corner and kicked it along to Mele. Mele fed it to Travis Armstrong at the point who fired a wrist shot on net. Murray deflected the shot out of mid-air and it bounced past Peter Di Salvo to make the score, 1-0.
Quad City had a chance to tie late in the period when Shane Bennett picked up a puck at center and sped past the Roanoke defense for a breakaway. He went from his backhand to his forehand and tried to slip a shot between the legs of Dill who went to the full splits to make the save and keep the Dawgs on top.
The Storm did crack Dill though early in the second while working on a power play. They cycled the puck around the perimeter and Sean Kacerosky took a slap shot that Dean Yakura deflected into the net, tying the game at one.
Roanoke answered later in the middle frame however as Maxime Guyon tracked down a loose puck along the right wing. He hit the trailing Alex Adams for a one-timer that Di Salvo blocked but Guyon was able to slide the rebound to Adams on the left wing. Adams snapped a shot from the boards that snuck through Di Salvo on the blocker side and the Dawgs regained the lead, 2-1.
They added to that lead on a power play in the third period. Jordan Carvalho kicked dragged a puck out of a scrum and got it to Mele in the slot. Mele passed it to the back side where Jesse Schwartz slung it past the lunging Di Salvo, extending the Dawgs lead to three.
Quad City managed to take one back later in the third when Tommy Tsicos’ short-side shot trickled through Dill’s legs and barely over the goal line to bring the Storm within one. They would get nothing further however and the Rail Yard Dawgs held on for the 3-2 win.
Dill made 33 saves on 35 shots in his first start as a Dawg, Mele finished with two assists and Schwartz’s goal was the eventual game-winner. Roanoke pulled into a tie for sixth place with the Fayetteville Marksmen in the win.
The Rail Yard Dawgs improved to 22-19-4 with the victory while the Storm dropped to 13-26-4. Roanoke and Quad City will finish out their season series on Saturday night at TaxSlayer Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:10 PM CST and the pregame show begins at 6:55 PM CST on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network.
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