Roanoke Skates Off With A Hard-fought 4-1 win (2-8-25)

By: Joey Raymond

Headline Photo Credit: Katie Raymond-LMS Network

Roanoke, VA –Roanoke is coming off one of its most dominant performances of the season, dismantling Knoxville 9-2 on Friday night. The Dawgs exploded for five first-period goals and never looked back, with six different players finding the scoresheet and eight players tallying multi-point nights. Nick Ford’s hat trick and Joe Widmar’s four-point effort led the way, while goaltender Austyn Roudebush moved within one win of a historic milestone. With a 15-2-3 record at home, Roanoke has been nearly unstoppable on home ice, and they’ll look to keep that momentum rolling tonight.

Knoxville, on the other hand, is in the midst of a major rebuild but has shown flashes of improvement this season under new head coach John Gurskis. Despite a rough four-game skid, the Ice Bears have been competitive, with veterans like Jimmy Soper and Dalton Skelly providing leadership to a largely overhauled roster. Goaltender Stephen Mundinger has been solid between the pipes, but he and his team will need to tighten things up after surrendering nine goals last night. With plenty of pride on the line, Knoxville will be eager to bounce back, while Roanoke aims to keep its foot on the gas.

First Period

Roanoke came out firing in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Berglund Center, setting the tone early. Just four minutes in, the Dawgs nearly struck first when a shot rang off the crossbar. Minutes later, they wouldn’t miss, as Andrew Harley found the back of the net on a follow-up attempt to give Roanoke a 1-0 lead. Knoxville’s Brendan Dowler took the first penalty of the game at the six-minute mark for boarding, but the Ice Bears successfully killed off the Roanoke power play. The Dawgs kept the pressure on, and with just over eight minutes left in the period, Carson Gallagher continued his red-hot streak, finishing off a slick passing play to double Roanoke’s lead. The Dawgs’ relentless attack kept Knoxville on its heels for most of the frame, and after 20 minutes of play, Roanoke took a commanding 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

Second Period 

The second period opened with a fast-paced, physical battle as both teams exchanged punishing hits, setting the tone for what was about to become a full-blown war. Knoxville started to gain more offensive zone time, but Roanoke still dictated much of the momentum. Just under five minutes in, the Dawgs were whistled for too many men on the ice, giving Knoxville its first power play of the night. The Ice Bears saw an opportunity to claw their way back, but Roanoke’s penalty kill was suffocating, shutting them down with ease.

Then, the chaos began. With 12:27 left in the period, Knoxville’s Lucas Helland—livid—earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, storming into the box in a full-on tantrum. The Berglund Center erupted in laughter as he kicked and screamed his way into the sin bin. Knoxville killed off the penalty, but the moment they got back to full strength, things got out of control. A blatantly dirty cross-check from the Ice Bears sent a Roanoke player sprawling, and just like that, fists were flying. The officials struggled to contain the madness as players shoved, chirped, and nearly came to blows. When the dust settled, Roanoke’s John MacDonald and Knoxville’s Brendan Dowler each took a seat for slashing and cross-checking, respectively, and the Dawgs faithful were furious. A deafening chorus of “Refs, you suck!” shook the arena to its core, as this already heated rivalry boiled over once again.

With emotions running high, Knoxville struck first during the 4-on-4, as Tyler Williams found open space and lasered a shot past Austyn Roudebush, silencing the crowd and cutting the lead to 2-1. But that silence lasted mere seconds. Roanoke immediately punched back, with Steven Alvo ripping a shot into the back of the net, reigniting the crowd into an absolute frenzy. The final minutes of the period saw no more scoring, but the intensity never wavered. There’s no love lost between these two teams, and this game was proving to be another chapter in one of the most bitter rivalries in the SPHL. As the teams headed into the second intermission, Roanoke carried a 3-1 lead, but with how much hatred was on display, the final 20 minutes promised to be anything but quiet.

Third Period

The Berglund Center crowd came out loud, rowdy, and ready to roar as the third period began. It didn’t take long for tensions to boil over—just a minute and thirty seconds in, Roanoke’s Gehrig Lindberg and Knoxville’s Jimmy Soper dropped the gloves, throwing punches in a brutal brawl that sent the arena into an uproar. Lindberg, feeding off the energy, raised his fists to fire up the crowd even more before both players were sent to the box with five-minute majors for fighting. They also received offsetting two-minute penalties—Roanoke for elbowing, and Knoxville for instigating.

Before the dust could settle, another fight broke out. This time, Roanoke’s Steven Alvo squared off against Knoxville’s Lucas Helland. Alvo stood up for his team after Helland’s antics all night, and the officials agreed, tacking on an extra two-minute penalty for instigating against Helland. After the penalties were sorted, play resumed, but the intensity never let up.

Roanoke was whistled for delay of game on Carson Gallagher, giving Knoxville a power play, but the Dawgs’ defense put on another clinic, shutting it down with ease. Minutes later, Knoxville’s Brendan Dowler was called for cross-checking, sending Roanoke back on the power play. Dowler tried to stir the pot, but Roanoke goalie Austyn Roudebush wasn’t having it—skating by and giving him a shove to end the nonsense. Knoxville killed off the penalty, but Roanoke continued to control possession as the final minutes ticked down.

With 2:15 left, Knoxville pulled their goalie in a desperate push for a goal. The Ice Bears fired shot after shot, but Roudebush stood tall, turning away every attempt. Eventually, the Dawgs found an opening—Austen Swankler took a perfect pass from Jacob Kelly and buried it into the empty net, sealing the victory. As the final seconds ticked away, Roanoke skated off with a hard-fought 4-1 win, taking down their biggest rival in front of an electrified home crowd.

Final thoughts 

In front of a near-capacity crowd at the Berglund Center, Roanoke and Knoxville delivered another chapter in their fierce rivalry, filled with hard hits, relentless energy, and no shortage of intensity. From the opening puck drop, the Dawgs controlled the tempo, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. The physicality reached a boiling point in the third period, with multiple fights breaking out and emotions running high on both sides. Despite the heated nature of the game, Knoxville never backed down, keeping Roanoke on its toes and making them earn every inch of ice. The Ice Bears fought valiantly, particularly in the closing minutes when they applied heavy pressure with the extra attacker, but Roanoke’s defense and goaltending held firm. In the end, an empty-net goal sealed a hard-fought 4-1 victory for the Dawgs, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

However, one of the most memorable moments of the night came after the final horn. As Roanoke’s Austyn Roudebush celebrated his milestone 100th career SPHL victory, backup goaltender Tyler Roy, took a moment to seek out Knoxville goaltender Talor Joseph at center ice. In a remarkable display of sportsmanship and mutual respect, the two netminders appeared to share a prayer, highlighting the deep bond that exists even in the fiercest of rivalries. It was a fitting end to a game that had everything—passion, physicality, and a true appreciation for the battle waged on the ice. While Roanoke came away with the win, Knoxville proved they are a formidable opponent, setting the stage for what should be another electric matchup the next time these two teams collide.