For Immediate Release:
March 5, 2017
ROANOKE DROPPED BY PEORIA, 6-2
Steve Mele and Zach Tatrn score in loss
PEORIA, IL – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs allowed four goals in the second period and fell to the Peoria Rivermen 6-2, Sunday afternoon at Carver Arena. Roanoke’s loss was its fourth in a row.
Peoria got on the board early when Connor Gorman scored less than two minutes into the game. Roanoke managed to tie it while working on the power play later in the first. Steve Mele slid a pass to Nick Schneider, who tapped it back to Mele in the slot. He ripped a shot past Storm Phaneuf’s blocker side to put the Dawgs on the board.
Mele’s goal was his first in seven games since returning from a 27-game absence on injured reserve.
The Rivermen would take the lead back just minutes later however when Jeff Jones lit the lamp on the power play to make it 2-1.
Jones’ goal was the first of four unanswered by the Rivermen. Cody Dion netted a pair of power play goals in the second, extending the Peoria advantage to 4-1. Alec Hagaman later blistered a wrist shot past Joey Ballmer to make it 5-1 and force Roanoke to execute a goaltender change.
Ballmer stopped ten of the 15 shots he faced in 30:28 of action before being replaced by James Kruger.
Roanoke cut into the deficit in the second while working shorthanded. Zach Tatrn muscled the puck free in the neutral zone and sprinted in on a breakaway. He deked from his backhand to his forehand and slid the puck five hole on Phaneuf for the Dawgs second goal.
Peoria managed one more goal in the second when Dakota Klecha banged a rebound past Kruger, extending the Rivermen lead to 6-2.
Kruger made 19 saves on 20 shots in relief. Tatrn finished the three-game set in Peoria with two goals and an assist.
Roanoke fell to 14-25-6 in the loss while Peoria improved to 26-10-9. The Rail Yard Dawgs will return to action on Friday in Huntsville against the Havoc. Puck drop at the Von Braun Center is scheduled for 7:00 PM CST.
2017-18 Rail Yard Dawgs season tickets are on sale now! Seats can be reserved by visiting the Rail Yard Dawgs office inside of the Berglund Center or over the phone at 540-344-3294.
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