Roanoke’s Defense Holds Firm, Securing A Thrilling 5-4 victory (3-29-25)

By: Joey Raymond 

Headline Photo Credit: Katie Raymond-LMS Network

Roanoke, VA –Last night, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs secured a thrilling 6-5 overtime victory against the Macon Mayhem, snapping a three-game skid and notching their 20th home win of the season. Roanoke’s offense came alive in a big way, with six different players lighting the lamp and 11 skaters contributing at least a point. Johnny MacDonald made his return to the lineup dramatically, dropping the gloves right off the opening puck drop before scoring in the second period. With the win, Roanoke continued its dominance on home ice, but Macon proved they wouldn’t go down without a fight.

The Mayhem showed resilience, battling back from multiple deficits to force overtime. Leading scorers Jake Goldowski and Zack Nazzarett played key roles, while goaltenders Josh Boyko and Bailey Brkin kept Macon within striking distance. Now, with tensions already high after Friday’s battle, the two teams are set to clash once again tonight at the Berglund Center, with Macon looking for revenge and Roanoke aiming to sweep the weekend series. Let’s break down game 2 of the heated matchup.

First Period

The Dawgs wasted no time getting on the board, striking just over three minutes into the game. Tim Manning found open space and rifled a shot top-shelf on the glove side, notching his first professional goal and giving Roanoke a 1-0 lead. The Berglund Center crowd thought they had another tally just minutes later, but the goal was waved off, sending the home fans into an uproar. Their frustration didn’t last long, as Roanoke quickly got their revenge. Red-hot Stephen Alvo picked his spot and buried a shot top-shelf stick-side to extend the lead to 2-0. The floodgates opened just 30 seconds later when Tommy Munichiello found the back of the net, making it 3-0 Dawgs. The onslaught continued with eight minutes to go in the period, as captain Nick Ford joined the scoring party to stretch the advantage to 4-0.

Macon finally found a response late in the period after Jacob Kelly was called for tripping, putting the Mayhem on the power play. It took just seconds for Conor Witherspoon to capitalize, sneaking a shot past Austyn Roudebush to cut the deficit to 4-1. The remainder of the period played out quietly, with Roanoke heading into the intermission holding a commanding three-goal lead.

Second Period

The first five minutes of the second frame saw solid defensive play from both teams, with neither side able to break through. The game took a concerning turn with 11:13 left in the period when Macon’s Zack Nazzarett suffered an apparent injury and had to be helped off the ice by his teammates. As play resumed, Roanoke had a prime opportunity to regain control after John Kaljian was whistled for cross-checking, putting the Dawgs on their first power play of the night. However, their aggressive attack backfired, as Macon’s Dan Winslow capitalized on a shorthanded break, slicing the deficit to 4-2. The Mayhem kept pushing and found another opening with two minutes left in the period when Parker Allison blasted a one-timer past Roudebush, bringing the game within one.

Things went from bad to worse for Roanoke just moments later, as a too-many-men penalty handed Macon another advantage. The Mayhem wasted no time taking advantage, with Witherspoon striking again just seconds into the power play to even the score at 4-4. The Berglund Center erupted—not in celebration, but in outrage. As the period ended, frustrated Dawgs fans let the referees hear it, echoing the arena with chants of “Ref, you suck!” as the teams headed to the locker room.

Third Period

The third period mirrored much of the second, with both teams battling hard but neither able to break through in the first six minutes. Roanoke finally reclaimed the lead with 13:21 to go, as Mac Jansen unleashed a laser into the back of the Macon net, putting the Dawgs ahead 5-4. Following the goal, the game settled into a familiar rhythm—fast-paced back-and-forth action but no major penalties or scoring. As the clock wound down, anticipation built over when Macon would pull their goalie. That moment came with just under 2:30 left, effectively giving the Mayhem an extra attacker. With Macon’s earlier power-play success, the Dawgs had to stay sharp defensively. In the end, Roanoke’s defense held firm, weathering the late surge and securing a thrilling 5-4 victory.