For Immediate Release:
December 30, 2017
ROANOKE RACES PAST FAYETTEVILLE, 4-2
Brad Barone stops 44 in Dawgs win
ROANOKE, VA – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs scored three times in the third to come from behind as they defeated the Fayetteville Marksmen, 4-2, Saturday night at Berglund Center. Brad Barone made 44 saves for the Dawgs in the win.
Trailing 2-1 early in the third, Roanoke worked the puck to the left wing on the attack. John Gustafsson put a shot on net that Peter Di Salvo stopped but Matt Beer was waiting for the rebound. He gathered it, shifted to his backhand and roofed the puck past Di Salvo to tie the game at two.
Later in the period with the game still tied at two, Beer got the puck to Steve Mele on the left wing. Mele glided into open space in the slot and ripped a shot through Di Salvo’s five hole, giving the Dawgs their first lead of the game.
Meanwhile Barone held strong in the Roanoke goal. He faced 16 shots in the third period and fought them all off to keep the Marksmen at bay. The Rail Yard Dawgs earned an insurance tally in the final moments of the third when David Gandara sent a shot the length of the ice into the empty Fayetteville net to cement the victory.
Fayetteville took a lead in the first with a power play goal. Jake Hauswirth banked a shot off a Dawgs defenseman from a sharp angle and the Marksmen went ahead, 1-0.
Roanoke evened things early in the second. Mike Moroso fed Mathias Tellstrom down the right wing for a partial breakaway. Tellstrom let loose a slap shot from close range and rang it past Di Salvo to tie the game at one.
The Marksmen went ahead late in the second after Jamie Hill corralled a rebound and snuck it past Barone.
Beer had a goal and an assist, Mele scored for the fourth straight game and Gandara also tallied a goal and an assist. Barone made 44 saves as the Dawgs were out-shot by the Marksmen, 46-23, in the winning effort.
Roanoke’s win was its second in as many nights and improved its record to 7-12-3. Fayetteville fell to 6-15-4 with the loss. The Rail Yard Dawgs vaulted past the Marksmen into eighth place in the SPHL with the victory.
The Dawgs return to action on Sunday night at home against the Knoxville Ice Bears. Puck drop for the New Year’s Eve game is scheduled for 6:05 PM at Berglund Center.
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