Roanoke Holds Off Knoxville For The Win (12-28-24)

By: Joey Raymond

Headline Photo Credit: Katie Raymond-LMS Network

Roanoke, VA —It’s a Whiteout night in Roanoke as the Rail Yard Dawgs gear up to face the Knoxville Ice Bears at Berglund Center. Roanoke is on fire, winning 11 of its last 14 games, including a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over the first-place Huntsville Havoc last night. Mac Jansen led the charge with three points and the game-winning goal, while Nick Ford and Tommy Munchiciello chipped in with key goals. The Dawgs’ special teams have been unstoppable lately, boasting the league’s top power play and a perfect penalty kill over the last four games. Combine that with an eight-game home winning streak, and Roanoke is a team firing on all cylinders.

Knoxville, meanwhile, has come a long way since last year’s struggles. After a major offseason overhaul, the Ice Bears sit at 13-8-2 and have been red-hot outside of two losses to Roanoke earlier this month. Key additions like Jimmy Soper and Dalton Skelly have brought experience and leadership, while goaltender Stephen Mundinger has been a force in the net with a .913 save percentage. With both teams riding momentum, tonight’s showdown promised to deliver plenty of action for fans in Roanoke, and it did. Let’s break down the Saturday night showdown in the ‘Star City’ 

First Period: A Fast Start for Roanoke

With both teams sporting sharp uniforms—Roanoke in all-white and Knoxville in vibrant orange—the game got off to an energetic start. The Dawgs struck early, just 2:43 into the game when Aiden Girduckis found open space and fired the puck into the net, giving Roanoke a 1-0 lead.

Minutes later, Roanoke capitalized again. This time, Cory Doney slipped the puck under Knoxville goalie Stephen Mundinger, who seemed unaware of its location, extending the Dawgs’ lead to 2-0. Knoxville responded midway through the period when Dawson McKinney unleashed a top-shelf slap shot, cutting Roanoke’s lead to 2-1.

The remainder of the period was largely quiet until Roanoke committed a cross-checking penalty with just 15.5 seconds left, granting Knoxville a power play that would carry over into the second period.

Second Period: Power Plays and Missed Opportunities

Roanoke opened the second period by effectively killing off Knoxville’s power play. Five minutes in, Dawson McKinney was called for tripping, putting Roanoke on their first power play of the game. With just 5 seconds left in the advantage, Mac Jansen capitalized on a pinpoint pass from Gustav Muller, firing the puck into the net to make it 3-1.

Knoxville’s troubles continued as a shot penalty gave Roanoke’s Matt O’Dea a penalty shot opportunity, but Mundinger made a crucial save to keep the deficit at two goals. Later, a questionable kneeing call against Roanoke was quickly offset by a delay of game penalty on Knoxville, leading to two minutes of 4-on-4 hockey. Both teams returned to full strength without further scoring.

With 3:34 left in the period, Knoxville’s Brendan Dowler was penalized for holding, giving Roanoke another power play. Though Knoxville killed the penalty, Roanoke’s relentless pressure paid off moments later when Billy Roche scored, extending the Dawgs’ lead to 4-1 heading into the final period.

Third Period: Roanoke Holds On Amid Chaos

The final frame began quietly but soon erupted with action. Four minutes in, Nick Ford capitalized on a rebound, burying the puck to give Roanoke a commanding 5-1 lead. Knoxville quickly responded with a long-range shot that ricocheted off the crossbar and into the net, trimming the lead to 5-2.

Shortly after, Aiden Girduckis was called for tripping, giving Knoxville a crucial power play. The Ice Bears pounded shot after shot until Jason Brancheau broke through, narrowing the gap to 5-3. Sensing an opportunity, Knoxville ramped up their physical play, hoping to mount a comeback.

With 6:20 remaining, Billy Roche was penalized for hooking, but Roanoke’s penalty kill held firm. Tensions boiled over in the final minutes as a massive scrum led to penalties on Roanoke’s Owen McDade (slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct) and Nick Ford (game misconduct). This left Roanoke down two skaters for nearly the remainder of the game, giving Knoxville a 5-on-3 advantage.

Mitch Atkins capitalized for the Ice Bears, scoring to make it 5-4 and igniting outrage from the Berglund Center crowd, who loudly voiced their disapproval of the officiating. With 33 seconds left, Knoxville pulled their goalie, but Roanoke’s defense held strong. A crucial clearance with just 7 seconds remaining sealed the victory, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Closing Thoughts: Dawgs Get It Done

This was a game full of energy, chaos, and plenty of drama, but in the end, the Dawgs held their ground and walked away with a hard-fought win. Roanoke came out strong early, kept the pressure on, and managed to hold off Knoxville’s late surge despite some questionable calls and a wild finish. The Berglund Center crowd brought the noise, especially in those tense final moments, and it felt like their energy helped push the team over the line.

With this win, Roanoke showed they can handle just about anything thrown their way—whether it’s big hits, crazy scrums, or a 5-on-3 disadvantage. The Dawgs are building some serious momentum, and their fans will be pumped to see how far this team can go. One thing’s for sure: this group knows how to put on a show.