Immediate Release:
March 25, 2017
ROANOKE SNAKEBITTEN BY COLUMBUS IN OVERTIME, 4-3
Dawgs trail Cottonmouths by four points for final playoff spot
ROANOKE, VA – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs scored in the third period to force overtime but Chad Brears netted the game-winning goal as the Columbus Cottonmouths defeated the Dawgs, 4-3, Saturday night at the Berglund Center.
With the Dawgs trailing 3-2 in the third period, Zach Tatrn absorbed a hit as he fed Vinny Llorca at the blue line. Llorca let loose a slap shot that appeared to redirect on its way to the back of the net, tying the game at three.
It was Llorca’s first professional goal and enough to force overtime as the Dawgs and Cottonmouths remained knotted at three for the remainder of regulation.
In overtime, Columbus caught the Dawgs pinching in deep and started a 2-on-1 rush up the ice. Brears carried the puck on the left wing and fired a wrister over James Kruger’s blocker side for the game-winning goal.
The Cottonmouths took the extra point out of the overtime clash and extended their lead over the Rail Yard Dawgs for the eighth and final playoff spot to four points.
Columbus struck first in the game when Jonathan Turk took a short-side shot that managed to squeak by Kruger. Roanoke wasted little time in tying the game however as just over a minute and a half later, Ben Bauer hammered a shot from the point that Phil Bronner redirected into the net, evening the score at one.
The Dawgs snagged the lead near the halfway point of the first as Jackson Brewer found space in the high slot and slid the puck to Dmytro Babenko on the back post. Babenko sniped the sharp angle one-timer through Mavric Parks’ short side and gave Roanoke the lead.
Columbus managed to put itself on top in the third when Scott Milnthorp got a wrister through traffic and Keegan Bruce snapped one over Kruger’s blocker from the slot.
Brewer finished with two assists, his eighth multi-point game of the season, and Kruger stopped 30 of 34 shots in the loss. The Rail Yard Dawgs record moved to 16-27-8 while the overtime win vaulted Columbus to 20-26-4.
Roanoke will now hit the road for Tennessee and its final meeting of the season with the Knoxville Ice Bears. Puck drop at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum is scheduled for 7:30 PM on Tuesday night.
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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