Rail Yards Dawgs Win Another OT Thriller (1-5-24)

By: Joey Raymond

All Photo Credit: Katie Lovell-LMS Networl

Roanoke, VA –For just the second time this season, we have ourselves a rematch of last year’s President’s Cup final. Both of these squads are coming into this matchup insanely hot. The Bulls have only lost games in overtime over the last 13, going 10-0-3 in that time. Roanoke has gone 8-3-1 in their last 12 games. With those records, this should be a really solid matchup. The biggest piece to watch for will be the goalie play. Hayden Stewart for Birmingham leads the SPHL in GAA (1.51), SV% (.945), wins (13), and the league lead in shutouts (3). Austin Roudebush is second in the SPHL in goals against average (2.06) and save percentage (.925). It’ll be interesting to see which goalie takes the crown in this matchup against the two best goalkeepers in the league. 

First Period Recap: 

The first five minutes of the period are fairly quiet until Birmingham decides to make some noise. MacGregor Sinclair from the Bulls would get a breakaway chance and take full advantage. He’d fire the puck to the goalkeeper’s stick side and it would get past and give Birmingham a 0-1 lead. The Dawgs would only need a few minutes to formulate a response. Roanoke would get a flashy play from Dominik Marcinkevics, who would make a pass to Owen McDade who slid the puck, and himself past the goalie and into the net to tie the game up. Birmingham would get a chance to go on the power play with roughly six minutes left to play in the period. Roanoke would successfully kill the penalty, keeping the score at 1-1. Roanoke would get a turn to go on the power play not too long after the penalty kill, as the Bulls would get called for elbowing. The period would end with no change on the scoreboard and the Dawgs would still be on the power play heading into the next period. 

Second Period Recap: 

Birmingham starts the period finishing what they started, successfully killing the penalty they started the period with. Shortly after, the Bulls would take that momentum and find themselves in an odd-man advantage, and find a crack in Roudebush’s armor, scoring their second goal of the night. That goal would give them a 1-2 lead early in the second period. Birmingham would continue the offensive onslaught, scoring yet another goal only a couple minutes after the prior goal. That goal would stretch their lead to 1-3, and effectively shut down the Berglund Center crowd. Roanoke’s fans would have something to cheer for with about 13 minutes left when Birmingham would take a seat in the penalty box for tripping. Unfortunately for Dawgs fans that’s all they’d have to cheer about because the Bulls would kill the penalty with no issues. To top on the disappointment of not scoring on the power play, Birmingham would get to go on the power play almost immediately after. The Bulls wouldn’t waste any time scoring either, firing a shot that rings true almost as soon as the power play starts. Birmingham would be in complete control after the goal, commanding a 1-4 lead. The rest of the period would come and go quietly, with no movements made on the scoreboard.  

Third Period Recap: 

We start the third period and the Dawgs look like a completely different team to start the period. A team that looked tired and lackadaisical had been rejuvenated at least for the early part of the period. It only takes three minutes for Roanoke to put a goal up on the board. Dominiks Marcinkevics would be quick to the draw and find space behind the goalkeeper to bring Roanoke one goal closer, bringing the score to 2-4. Only another three minutes would pass before Roanoke would strike again. Matt O’Dea would find open space to the goalkeeper’s stick side, inching the Dawgs closer, making the score 3-4. Before you’d know it, we’d find ourselves with five minutes left in the game with no penalties or goals since the one prior. The Dawgs would continue to get shots on the net, but time would not be on their side late in this game. With only 1:09 left and the Dawgs still down a goal, Roanoke would have no choice but to pull the goalie. Roanoke would get some amazing looks, firing shot after shot until finally they found a crack in the defense. Nick Ford would fire a shot that would sneak underneath the goalkeeper to tie the game up with only 20 seconds left in regulation. Time would run out shortly after and we’d head into overtime with a tie of 4-4. 

Overtime Period Recap:

The Berglund Center is electric and the energy in the building is bone-chilling. The Dawgs are feeling the energy early in the overtime period. Birmingham would get a close shot that would fly off the crossbar of Roanoke’s net. However, the Dawgs wouldn’t shy away from taking the puck shortly after and firing a shot to the goalkeeper’s glove side that would be too hot for Hayden Stewart to handle. The puck would find the net underneath the glove and the arena would erupt. The Dawgs would pull out an unfathomable win from the depths of nowhere. Both teams will get a point for tonight’s effort but the Dawgs will be going home with two points and a sweet 5-4 win. 

What’s Next?

Truth be told if you would have said this would be the result of the game after the second period, I would have laughed. Roanoke struggled in that second period and whatever Coach Dan Bremner said to them in the locker room must have worked. Roanoke will get another chance to host on January 6th, 2024. They’ll be hosting the Knoxville Ice Bears again, which should be a great matchup once again. The Bulls will also get to head home and play host. They’ll be hosting the sixth-place Pensacola Ice Flyers. After this game, the Dawgs hold strong in fourth place in the standings. The Bulls had such a big point lead that they did manage to remain in first place, but Fayetteville is now within one point of Birmingham.