With a roster of seasoned veterans and last year’s run to the SPHL’s President Cup Finals, expectations were running high for the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs.
Friday night at the Berglund Center the team didn’t disappoint.
Riding a 3-goal blitz in the second period, Roanoke outlasted the Fayetteville Marksmen 4-2 in the season opener for both squads.
Roanoke looked strong in the opening 20 minutes, but it was the Marksmen who scored the only goal at the 12:38 mark on an Andrew Lane put-back.
The Dawgs roared back with three straight in the second frame. Mac Jansen got things going with a slapper that beat Fayetteville goalie Jason Pawloski at the 3:38 mark to knot the score at 1-1. Just under five minutes later, Nick DeVito tipped in the second goal on a power play opportunity that put the Dawgs up 2-1. Josh Nenadal made it 3-1 Roanoke on a wrister at the 17:42 mark that sent Roanoke to the second intermission with the 3-1 advantage.
Fayetteville closed to 3-2 just past the midway point of the third period on a score by Taylor McCloy, but the Dawgs answered with a goal by Travis Broughman that kept the Marksmen at a distance the rest of the way.
Brody Claeys stood tall in the pipes for Roanoke, stopping 20-ot-22 shots to get the win. Pawloski made 33-of 37 save attempts for Fayetteville. Roanoke scored the only power play goal of the night, with both teams having three one-man advantages.
Roanoke travels to Fayetteville for the back end of the home-and-home series Saturday night to open the season.
Bill Turner
