For Immediate Release:
March 16, 2018
MAYHEM SNEAK PAST RAIL YARD DAWGS, 5-4
Macon scores three unanswered goals to steal the win
ROANOKE, VA – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the second period but the Macon Mayhem scored the game’s final three goals to come from behind and beat the Dawgs, 5-4, Friday night at Berglund Center. Roanoke’s loss snapped a five-game home winning streak.
Roanoke got the scoring started in the first period while working on a power play. Eric Witzel fed Riley Spraggs for a back-door one-timer that he blistered by Troy Passingham to make it 1-0.
After Macon’s Dakota Klecha tied the score with a power play goal of his own, the Dawgs regained the lead when Witzel and John Gustafsson worked in on a two-on-one break. Witzel slid the puck over to Gustafsson who wristed a shot by Passingham to make it 2-1.
The Mayhem tied the game early in the second as Caleb Cameron split two defenders and fired a wrister over Brad Barone’s shoulder, evening the score at two.
Roanoke snagged the lead back a few minutes later while working on the power play. Spraggs snapped a shot on net that Passingham blocked but Witzel was able to stick his stick out and poke in the rebound. Two minutes later, Steve Mele picked up the puck behind Macon’s net and found Maxime Guyon alone in the slot. Guyon put the puck past Passingham to increase the Dawgs lead to 4-2.
Caleb Cameron’s second goal of the game brought the Mayhem within one late in the second period. The Mayhem tied the game in the third while working on a two-man advantage. Jake Trask snapped a pass to Daniel Gentzler at the back doorstep who tucked it in to tie the score at four.
Macon scored the eventual game-winning goal late in the third after Trask was sprung on an odd-man rush. He sent a wrist shot through Barone’s five hole to give the Mayhem their first lead.
The Dawgs would pull Barone for an extra attacker in the final minutes but their rally fell short as they were defeated by the Mayhem, 5-4.
Witzel had one goal and two assists, Gustafsson scored for the third consecutive game and Spraggs had a goal and an assist.
The Rail Yard Dawgs fell to 22-22-4 with the loss while Macon improved to 27-16-5. Roanoke will hit the road for Alabama on Saturday to take on the Birmingham Bulls. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 PM at the Pelham Civic Center.
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