For Immediate Release:
March 24, 2018
ROANOKE SQUEAKS BY KNOXVILLE, 3-2
Roanoke survives last minute flurry to prevail over Knoxville
ROANOKE, VA – Joe Sova, Zach Tatrn and Daniel Vernance each scored as the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs edged the Knoxville Ice Bears, 3-2, Saturday night at Berglund Center. Brad Barone stopped 18 of 20 shots faced to backstop Roanoke to the victory.
With the score tied 2-2 in the last minute of the second period and the Dawgs working on a power play, Maxime Guyon carried the puck toward the net. He tried to stuff it past Troy Davenport but was blocked and the puck bounced back to the point where Sova was waiting. Sova boomed a slap shot toward the net that sailed over Davenport and snuck under the cross bar to put the Dawgs up, 3-2, with just four seconds remaining in the second period.
Neither team was able to put anything further on the board in the third and the game reached its final minute still tied at two. The Ice Bears pulled Davenport for an extra attacker and kept the puck pinned in the attacking zone. Knoxville fired a flurry of shots that were blocked by Barone and his defenders and the Dawgs held on to win the game, 3-2.
Roanoke got the scoring started in the first while working on a power play. Eric Witzel controlled the puck on the right wing boards and fed a pass to Vernace who was all by himself in the slot. He wristed a shot that made its way past Davenport to give the Dawgs a 1-0 lead.
Knoxville tied the game later in the first when Stefan Brucato found a loose puck in the high slot and sent a wrister through traffic and past Barone to tie the game at one. The Ice Bears would take a lead early in the third thanks to another Brucato goal. While on the power play he took a pass on the doorstep and snuck it through a lunging Barone to make it 2-1.
Roanoke tied the game later in the second when Chris Porter sprung Tatrn on a rush down the left wing. Tatrn fired a wrist shot from outside the left wing circle past Davenport’s blocker to even to score at two.
The Rail Yard Dawgs improved to 24-23-4 with the win while Knoxville fell to 28-18-6. Roanoke will hit the road for North Carolina on Thursday for a matchup against the Fayetteville Marksmen. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM at the Crown Coliseum.
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