For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2017
RAIL YARD DAWGS FALL SHORT IN OT, 4-3
Roanoke finishes three-game stretch with five of a possible six points
COLUMBUS, GA – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs scored to tie the game late in the third period but ultimately fell in overtime to the Columbus Cottonmouths, 4-3, Saturday night at the Columbus Civic Center. Roanoke finished a stretch of three games in three days with five of a possible six points.
With less than a minute to go in overtime, Nick Schneider and Massimo Lamacchia sped in on the attack with a 2-on-1 rush. Schneider lifted a pass to Lamacchia who was robbed by Brandon Jaeger on the one-timer. The Cottonmouths gathered the rebound and broke out the opposite way. Evan Neugold received a pass and wristed a shot past Ryan de Melo on the short side for the game-winning goal.
The game remained scoreless until the second when Columbus controlled the puck on the attack. Petr Senkerik fired a slap shot from the left wing that snuck past de Melo and gave the Cottonmouths a 1-0 lead.
Columbus added to its advantage just 12 seconds later as Keegan Bruce gained possession in the offensive zone. He snapped a wrist shot to de Melo’s short side and extended the lead to 2-0.
The Rail Yard Dawgs fought back later in the period. Phil Bronner poked the puck loose to Peter Gintoli as Jaeger got caught out of the crease. Gintoli ripped the puck into the empty net and the Dawgs cut the deficit in half.
Later, the Cottonmouths committed a pair of penalties and sent Roanoke to a 5-on-3 power play. The Dawgs set up the attack and Lamacchia fed a pass to Schneider who blasted a one-timer from the point. It snuck through traffic and beat Jaeger to tie the game at two.
Columbus went back to work in the third as Senkerik carried the puck down the right wing and left a pass for the trailing Alexander Taulien in the high slot. Taulien ripped a wrister that bested de Melo, giving the Cottonmouths a 3-2.
The lead would not last long however as Gintoli put a shot on net that Jaeger turned aside but left a loose rebound. Mike Moroso streaked after the puck and knocked it into the net to tie the game at three, eventually forcing overtime.
Gintoli finished with a goal and an assist, Lamacchia had an assist to extend his point streak to five games and Moroso scored for the fourth straight game. de Melo made 36 saves on 40 shots in the losing effort.
The Rail Yard Dawgs moved to 8-13-5 with the overtime loss and Columbus improved to 7-16-1. Roanoke will return home to host the Knoxville Ice Bears on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 PM at the Berglund Center.
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