Roanoke, VA – The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs returned home Friday night with a chance to close out their best-of-three series against the Knoxville Ice Bears and punch their ticket to the next round of the President’s Cup Playoffs. Instead, it was Knoxville who came into the Berglund Center and dictated the tempo, shutting out the Dawgs 2-0 and evening the series at one game apiece.
Knoxville’s Liam McCanney found the back of the net twice, while goaltender Stephen Mundinger delivered a stellar 35-save performance to blank the Dawgs and silence a restless Roanoke crowd. Despite a flurry of power play chances, controversial officiating, and some late-game desperation, the Dawgs couldn’t generate enough offense to claw their way back.
First Period
Just two and a half minutes into the contest, Knoxville set the tone with a goal straight off a faceoff, catching everyone—possibly even the Ice Bears themselves—off guard. Liam McCanney was credited with the strike, giving Knoxville a quick 1-0 lead.
The Ice Bears looked like the quicker, more prepared team early on, but Roanoke began to settle in with flashes of promise. Around the seven-minute mark, however, things took a frustrating turn. A blatant holding call against Knoxville went unwhistled, only for Roanoke’s Bryce Martin to get called for slashing shortly after. Following a bit of post-whistle chaos, both Roanoke’s John Macdonald and Knoxville’s Tyler Rollo received offsetting roughing minors. When the dust settled, Knoxville had themselves a power play.
Roanoke managed to kill the penalty, and the period played out with some minor scuffles but no further goals. That is, until the final seconds—when tensions boiled over heading into the locker room. A multi-player scrum led to more penalties being assessed: Bryce Martin got called for cross-checking, Knoxville’s Carson Vance took a slashing penalty, and Brendan Dowler was called for roughing. When it all shook out, Roanoke was given a power play to start the second period.
Second Period
Opening the second with a man advantage, the Dawgs looked to jump on the opportunity early. Knoxville nearly killed off the penalty, but with just 15 seconds remaining, they were hit with another cross-checking penalty—extending Roanoke’s power play. Despite sustained pressure and plenty of zone time, the Dawgs came up empty. Knoxville weathered the storm, killing off both penalties and maintaining their one-goal lead.
Then, with 11 minutes left in the period, disaster struck for Roanoke. A sloppy offensive miscue turned into a Knoxville breakout, and McCanney again capitalized—beating Austin Roudebush for his second goal of the night, extending the lead to 2-0.
Roanoke got another chance shortly after when Knoxville’s Tyler Williams was called for roughing. The Dawgs did find the net on the ensuing power play—but in a move that sent the Berglund Center into a frenzy, the referees waved the goal off, saying it did not count. Fans were furious. Chants of “Ref You Suck” erupted and didn’t stop for the rest of the night. It was just one of many calls (or non-calls) that added fuel to the fire.
Knoxville continued to rack up penalties—taking a hooking and another roughing minor late in the period, giving Roanoke a crucial 5-on-3 power play for over a minute. The Dawgs needed to score there… but couldn’t convert. Knoxville escaped again, and Roanoke fans were visibly restless, sensing the game slipping away.
The period ended with Roanoke still trailing 2-0, despite outshooting and out-chancing the Ice Bears throughout the frame.
Third Period
Roanoke opened the final period on the penalty kill after CJ Valerian took a roughing call just over a minute in. The Dawgs did kill it off, but the energy didn’t shift in their favor. Knoxville remained a step quicker, a touch crisper, and more disciplined. Roanoke, meanwhile, looked like a team pressing for answers.
With 9:15 left in the game, Knoxville’s Brendan Dowler gave Roanoke another power play opportunity. But instead of a spark, it brought more boos. The Dawgs looked disorganized and lost, and Knoxville made quick work of the kill. At that point, frustration reached a peak—even the typically rowdy “Dawg House” started booing the home team. It was rare air inside the Berglund Center.
Things started to boil over. A visibly irritated Roanoke squad took out some of that frustration with unnecessary physicality. CJ Valerian picked up another penalty—this time for boarding—putting Knoxville on yet another power play with under six minutes to play.
Roanoke did manage to kill it off and pulled Roudebush for the extra skater in the final minutes. A break came when Knoxville’s Dawson McKinney took a delay of game penalty, giving the Dawgs a 6-on-4 opportunity. But even with the two-man advantage, Roanoke couldn’t solve Mundinger, who stood tall and finished off the shutout.
Final Thoughts
This one will sting for Roanoke fans. Between the missed chances, officiating controversy, and a sluggish overall performance, the Dawgs left the ice to a chorus of groans and boos. With the series now tied 1-1, Roanoke will need to regroup quickly ahead of a pivotal Game Three on Sunday.
The Ice Bears showed they’re not just here to play spoiler—they’re here to compete. Now it’s up to the Dawgs to find a response take back the series lead, and ultimately win the series.
