The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs will look to break into the win column this weekend at the Berglund Center.
Four games into the season the Dawgs are still looking for their first win, and a pair of back-to-back shootouts against the Macon Mayhem on Saturday night at 7:05, followed by a Sunday afternoon matinee at 3:05 may just be the solution to the slow start. Roanoke may get an additional advantage as Macon has to play the Huntsville Havoc Friday night before making the trip to Roanoke.
Macon, like the Dawgs, is one of three teams in the 11-team Southern Professional Hockey League looking for their first win of the year. Roanoke lost a pair last weekend on the road, first a Friday night 7-6 setback against the Birmingham Bulls in a shootout, followed by Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Knoxville. The Dawgs sit at 0-2-1-1 with 2 points earned from the extra session setbacks.
Macon has yet to win in five tries, with one shootout loss in the mix good for one point on the season. SPHL newcomer, the Vermiion County Bobcats have lost all four of their games in regulation.
Roanoke has had its chances. In their first two games against the Fayetteville Marksmen, both on the Berglund pond, the Dawgs led or were tied heading to the final 20-minute period. In the season opener, Fayetteville exploded for four goals in the final frame for the 4-1 win, and a week later, broke open a 0-0 tie after the second with two goals in the final frame.
Everyone in the SPHL is chasing Huntsville which has 5 wins in as many tries to open the season. The Evansville Thunderbolt have won five of six to join the Havoc with 10 points, while the Quad City Storm have 9 points from a 4-1-0-1 start. Fayetteville stands at a perfect 4-0-0-0 start and 8 points.
Roanoke’s Mac Jansen leads the Dawg scoring through four games with four points on two goals and two assists. Logan Fredericks has two goals and an assist. Goaltender Austyn Roudebush has replaced Henry Dill in the pipes for the Dawgs after Dill was placed on the 21-day injured reserve list. Brody Claeys is also available in goal this weekend for Roanoke.
UPDATE: 11:06AM November 4, 2021
The SPHL announced this morning that the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs will be taking on the Huntsville Havoc for their games this Saturday and Sunday. The Havoc replace the Macon Mayhem. The make-up road games for the Mayhem will be announced at a later date.
Times remain the same for both of Roanoke’s games this weekend; 7:05 Saturday night and 3:05 Sunday afternoon.
Bill Turner
