Roanoke Stays Hot, Defeats Macon 5-2 (1-18-24)
By: Joey Raymond
Headline Photo Credit: Katie Lovell-LMS Network
Roanoke, VA –The last place Macon Mayhem finds themselves in the Star City for a matchup against the fourth-place Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. This thirsty Thursday night matchup shouldn’t be something the Dawgs overlook though as if they want to make a push up the standings, this is a series they need to win. In other words, you have to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. This Macon Mayhem team is a team that Roanoke should be. Macon has been their own worst enemy this season, being one of the most inconsistent teams in the SPHL. They’ve only managed to win 7 games thus far this season with a goal differential of minus 29. Roanoke has gone 12-3-1 since black Friday and has been one of the hottest teams in the SPHL. This should be a good game for Roanoke to figure some things out, especially considering they get one of their best players back in Jacob Kelly.
First Period Recap:
Offensively Roanoke would dominate in shots on goal for the period. It felt as if Roanoke was on the power play for pretty much the entire period. They’d get the clock down to 4 minutes left in the period. At that point in the game, Roanoke would lead in shots on goal 12 to Macon’s 5. Macon would impress in their defensive prowess regardless, managing to not let any goals up despite the offensive onslaught. Eventually, the defense would show cracks though, as Roanoke would fire shot after shot until one finally managed to find the top shelf of the back of the net. Mac Jansen would be the one to put it there and give the Dawgs a 1-0 lead. The clock would hit all zeros shortly thereafter and the period would end with the Dawgs up a goal.
Second Period Recap:
After the first four minutes of a quiet starting period, Roanoke would get called for the first penalty of the game. Brandon Picard would get called for high sticking, putting Macon on the power play. Roanoke would kill the penalty with ease. Macon wouldn’t be denied forever though, as Alex Laplante would find the net on the goalkeeper’s stick side to tie the game up at 1-1. The Dawgs would have something to say shortly after, only letting a minute pass before scoring again. Jacob Kelly would find gold this time around, giving the Dawgs a 2-1 lead. The offensive onslaught would continue, as only two minutes would pass this time when the Dawgs would score once again. Billy Roche would be the lucky Dawg this time, stretching the lead to 3-1. After the goal, Macon would end up sitting two minutes in the penalty box thanks to a fight that broke out after a scrum near the Roanoke bench. Macon would kill the penalty, keeping the score at 3-1.
Third Period Recap:
Macon would come out as the aggressor in the third period. It would take roughly six minutes but their aggressiveness would pay dividends. David Nippard would fire a shot past Austin Roudebush to bring Macon a goal closer and the score to 3-2. Roanoke would respond quickly, as Alex DiCarlo scored a goal that was blocked momentarily but the goalkeeper lost control and it found its way into the net. Roanoke would take a 4-2 lead. Macon would find their way into the penalty box not too long after for tripping, putting the Dawgs on the power play. Macon would successfully kill the power play. Several minutes would pass and then we’d see a massive hit from Macon at center ice that would lead to a massive fight against the boards. No extra penalties would be assessed besides the 5 minute majors and we’d play on. The Dawgs would take full advantage of the momentum from the fight, scoring only a few seconds later, giving themselves a 5-2 lead. The rest of the game would be quiet as even though we’d have some shots on goal, nothing would come out of it. The game would end with Roanoke on top, winning 5-2.
What’s Next?
Both of these squads will travel together down to Macon and play each other again on January 19th, 2024. Considering that this was the only game in the SPHL today there isn’t any movement in the standings as a result of this game, but the added points for the Dawgs will help them close the gap on third place. After the Friday night matchup, Roanoke will head to Huntsville to play the Havoc on Saturday, January 20th. The Macon Mayhem will get to stay comfortable at home but their opponent will switch to the Fayetteville Marksmen.
