The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs returned to the ice Friday night for the first time in 601 days due to the disruptive COVID-19 restrictions.
Last year, a strict limitation on fans allowed into indoor arenas caused the cancellation of the entire Dawgs’ season for financial prudence.
On Friday, an announced crowd of 4,136 returned with loud enthusiasm for the resumption of ice hockey at the Berglund Center. It looked looked good for over two periods as the Dawgs jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead over the Fayetteville Marksmen and still maintained that margin well into the third period.
Then, the dam broke.
Fayetteville’s Drake Glover scored from the mouth of the goal crease to tie the game at 1-1 at the 6:07 mark. Just over two minutes later Glover fired home his second tally past Roanoke goalie Henry Dill to give the Marksmen the 2-1 edge. Matt McNair followed with another laser at the 12:18 mark and McNair settled any hope of a late comeback by the Dawgs when he got his second of the night on an empty-netter with a minute left.
Four Fayettevill goals in the final 14 minutes of the game spelled disaster.
Marksmen goalie Jason Pawloski rose to the occasion, stopping 25 of the 26 shots he faced. Dill, stellar in the pipes for Roanoke for the first 46 minutes, allowed three goals in the third before the empty-netter by McNair.
Roanoke had the large crowd buzzing just over two minutes after the openng puck drop when CJ Stubbs followed a Fayetteville turnover with a sharp pass to Matt Beer who buried the puck for the quick 1-0 Dawg lead. However, that would be it for the Roanoke offense for the rest of the night.
The Dawgs will look to regroup this week before Fayetteviile returns Friday night, October 22, at the Berglund Center pond. Puck drop is 7:05 pm.
Bill Turner
