Rail Yard Dawgs Win In Dramatic Fashion (12-17-23)

By: Joey Raymond

Headline Photo Credit: Katie Lovell-LMS Network

Roanoke, VA –In a matchup that all SPHL fans will have their eye on, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs and the Birmingham Bulls will meet face-to-face for the first time this season. This will be the first time that two teams will meet this season. When was the last time these two squads went face to face? The SPHL President’s Cup final, where the Dawgs would win it in overtime 2-1, and get to hoist the cup on home ice. For Roanoke, this season hasn’t been what you’d expect out of a championship-winning club. They’ve struggled to keep consistent and currently find themselves in fifth place in the standings because of it. On the other side of the ice, the Bulls have been the model of consistency, winning 11 games and finding their way to second in the standings. However, with this being a rematch of last year’s final, I’d throw the records out of your mind. This is going to be an emotional, hard-fought matchup.

First Period Recap:

Wearing the much anticipated ‘Peanuts’ jerseys the Dawgs and Bulls begin the game by feeling each other out. These are two battle-tested teams trying to find a crack in each other’s defense. After 5 minutes of play, both teams would get two shots on goal. As we continued, the game wouldn’t see any action until two minutes later, when off the rebound, Nick Ford would drill it into the net for a “teddy bear goal” giving the Dawgs a 1-0 lead. The fans would then shower the ice with stuffed animals, giving us a slight delay in action. A much welcome delay though, as those will go to much-needed families for Christmas. We would continue action shortly after, and the Bulls would strike next. After a couple of minutes of skating back and forth between zones, Scott Donahue would find some open space and fire the puck behind the goalkeeper to tie the game at 1 goal a piece. Jonathan Pace of the Bulls would then quickly get called for holding, putting the Dawgs on a power play. Birmingham would make easy work of killing the power play though, keeping the score tied at 1-1. Immediately after the penalty kill, the Bulls would find themselves in a heap of trouble, getting 4 minutes for a high-sticking double minor. All 4 minutes would go by without a Dawgs goal, as the Bulls would successfully kill another penalty. The last three minutes of the period would pass by peacefully, as the period ended with a 1-1 tie.

Second Period Recap:

​We start the second period with a very quick shot on goal for the Bulls that doesn’t connect. That theme would continue for the next couple of minutes as Rodebush would make save after save in the early minutes of the period. Roughly four minutes would pass before the Bulls would find themselves yet again in the penalty box. Roanoke would get another chance on the power play and would yet again come up short. Back and forth we’d go as both teams now putting up several shots on goal but both goalkeepers would not let anything pass. Roanoke would finally get their turn in the penalty box, getting called for tripping. Birmingham would take quick advantage, scoring only a few seconds into the penalty, and giving themselves a 1-2 lead. Only 38 seconds would pass before the Bulls would yet again head to the penalty box, putting the Dawgs on the power play for the fourth time in this game. Birmingham would yet again prove why they have one of the best penalty-kill teams in the league, making it out of another penalty unscathed. The Dawgs would continue to batter the Birmingham goalkeeper and continue to not find the net. Time would expire in the second period with the Bulls still leading 1-2.

Third Period Recap:

​The Dawgs would win the opening faceoff to start the period, and would also quickly turn the puck over and then get called for a penalty. Birmingham would go on their second power play of the night. Roanoke would go on to successfully kill the penalty, keeping the score at 1-2. As soon as the Dawgs get back to full strength they rocket down the ice, firing the puck and finding the back of the net to tie the game. With the score now at 2-2, the arena is at a fever pitch. The energy remains high as the minutes go by, but we wouldn’t see any more action until roughly the 12-minute mark when the Bulls would get called for another penalty. That would put the Dawgs on the power play once again. Birmingham would be successful yet again, keeping the score at 2-2 with the penalty kill. The game would go into a lull for the next several minutes as both teams’ defenses would shine. As the clock reaches all zeros the game would still be tied at two goals a piece. This would mean we would need an extra overtime period to determine the winner.

Overtime / Shootout Period Recap:

​As per usual the first team to score in the 5-minute overtime period gets the win and the two points for the standings. The loser still grabs a point though, which could come in handy towards the latter part of the season. The Dawgs would take possession first, and ultimately miss the opening shot, but it gets the crowd fired up. The period continued and Birmingham would get the next fast break but get stopped by an amazing save from Roudebush. The teams would go back and forth turning the puck over to each other when Birmingham would find themselves on a fast break where they find the net, but the goal is called off because of goalie interference. Time would expire on the period shortly after, bringing us to a shootout. The Bulls and Dawgs would miss both of their first two attempts. However, the third time was the charm for the Bulls, making it into the net, forcing Roanoke to make their next shot. They do, keeping the score tied. On the fourth attempt, the Bulls would miss their shot, giving the Dawgs a chance to walk it off. They miss it, keeping us landlocked. Bulls miss their next shot, giving Roanoke another chance to walk it off and they do! The Dawgs would seal the win off the stick of Brenden Pepe, winning 3-2 in a shootout.

What’s Next?

​After a hard-fought shootout win that will earn them two points, the Dawgs will anxiously await their next matchup. Roanoke gets to play at home for 6 of the next 8 home games. They’ll start with a home-and-home series against a big rival in the Fayetteville Marksmen. That set of games will be on the 22nd and 23rd of December. As for Birmingham, they’ll currently still maintain second place in the SPHL standings and still gather a point after tonight’s loss. They’ll head back to Birmingham to host a Thursday night game against the Quad City Storm on the 21st. After that, they’ll head on a tough road trip where they’ll face Knoxville, Huntsville, and Pensacola, in a matter of 5 days.