Roanoke, VA –The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs are looking to put last weekend’s road struggles behind them as they return home to take on a revamped Macon Mayhem team. A pair of tough losses to Quad City, coupled with a roster hit by illness, left the Dawgs searching for answers after being swept for just the second time this season. With their health improving and key players stepping up, Roanoke is eager to bounce back in front of the home crowd.
Meanwhile, Macon is bringing fresh energy to the ice under new head coach Dave Pszenyczny. The Mayhem, featuring a heavily overhauled roster and standout performances from rookies like Tao Ishizuka and Nicholas Favaro, are proving they’re no pushovers. With former Dawg Jake Goldowski leading the team in goals and rookie goaltender Dysen Skinner delivering stellar numbers, Macon is poised to give Roanoke all it can handle. This matchup promises to be a battle of determination and momentum.
First Period:
Both teams hit the ice with serious energy, skating hard and battling for every inch of space. Roanoke came out firing, spending most of the early minutes on the attack and keeping the pressure on Macon. The hits came fast and heavy, with plenty of players getting slammed into the boards as both teams tried to set the tone physically. Macon found some solid chances when Roanoke’s relentless pace slowed, but the Dawgs’ defense held strong and didn’t give them much to work with.
The first penalty of the game came just four minutes in when Macon’s Trent Grimshaw got called for delay of game, giving Roanoke their first power play of the night. The Mayhem penalty kill didn’t flinch, even creating a dangerous shorthanded chance. Roanoke kept pushing, though, and with just over 11 minutes left in the period, their persistence finally paid off. A tough rebound found its way to Bryce Martin, who tucked it in to give the Dawgs a 1-0 lead. Not long after, Macon’s Chris Hunt was sent to the box for holding, giving Roanoke another chance on the power play. Macon’s defense bent but didn’t break, grinding out another successful kill.
Still, the Dawgs weren’t done. Just as Macon got back to full strength, a quick lapse left Andrew Harley some room, and he made it count. Harley notched his first professional goal, and Roanoke suddenly had a 2-0 cushion. Macon didn’t roll over, though—they had a strong push, keeping possession and even getting a prime scoring chance that slipped away after a mishandled puck. In the final minute, Roanoke regained momentum, peppering the Macon net with several shots. The Mayhem hung tough, though, and the period ended with the Dawgs leading 2-0.
The second period started a bit slower, with both teams seemingly catching their breath. Was it fatigue setting in, or were they just saving energy for a big push? Whatever the case, the pace in the first few minutes was noticeably less intense, with the teams looking a step slower than earlier.
At 13:32, the action picked up when Macon’s Conor Witherspoon was called for holding, sending the Dawgs back on the power play. Once again, Macon’s penalty kill came up big, helped in part by some puck mishandling from Roanoke. As soon as the Mayhem killed off the penalty, Jacob Schnapp—luscious hair flowing—found himself on a breakaway. He launched a rocket past Austin Roudebush, putting Macon on the board and narrowing the gap to 2-1.
Any momentum Macon hoped to build was immediately squashed. Off the next puck drop, Roanoke’s Matt O’Dea responded with a quick strike, restoring the two-goal cushion at 3-1. That goal sparked some frustration on Macon’s side, leading to tempers flaring. In one heated exchange, a Mayhem player knocked Nick Ford’s helmet off and threw him to the ice—somehow without drawing a penalty.
Roanoke made them pay another way, though. Just minutes later, Mac Jansen found himself on a wide-open breakaway. With some slick stick work, he buried the puck, sending the crowd into a frenzy and extending the Dawgs’ lead to 4-1. Macon switched goalies after that, but Roanoke wasn’t done. Gustav Muller wasted no time, netting another goal to make it 5-1.
The floodgates were officially open. With just over six minutes left, Matt O’Dea struck again, stretching the Dawgs’ lead to 6-1. Barely a minute passed before tensions boiled over. Macon’s Dan Winslow and Roanoke’s Billy Roche dropped the gloves in a spirited fight that earned both players five-minute majors.
Macon’s frustration was palpable, showing in their aggressive skating and sloppy puck handling. Their lack of discipline cost them again when Brad Jenion was called for interference with 3:30 left, putting Roanoke on yet another power play. Macon’s penalty kill did its job, but staying out of the box would’ve saved them the trouble in the first place.
The Mayhem’s defensive woes continued, and Roanoke capitalized again. Andrew Harley received a jaw-dropping cross-ice pass and buried it under the Mayhem goaltender to make it 7-1. By now, the game was completely out of hand—but Roanoke wasn’t done. With just six seconds left in the period, Jacob Kelly added an exclamation point, scoring the Dawgs’ eighth goal of the night and capping off one of the most dominant periods you’ll ever see.
Third Period:
Thankfully for Macon, the third period started off relatively quiet. Roanoke seemed to ease off the gas for the first few minutes, giving the Mayhem some breathing room. But that didn’t last long. As soon as an opening presented itself, the Dawgs pounced, putting pressure on the Mayhem goaltender. Though they didn’t score on the initial chance, the intensity was there.
Right after Roanoke’s attack, Macon responded with a push of their own. They worked the puck into Roanoke’s zone and fired off a couple of solid shots, forcing Austin Roudebush to make some spectacular saves. To the delight of the Dawg House, Roudebush made it look easy. Credit where it’s due—despite the lopsided scoreline, Macon continued to fight, showing resilience in the face of adversity.
While Roanoke seemed content to play more conservatively, they weren’t shy about taking opportunities when they arose. The game took a darker turn with 10:34 left in the period when Macon’s Chris Hunt initiated the second fight of the night. Calling it a “fight” might be generous—Hunt pinned Roanoke’s Gustuv Muller against the boards and repeatedly punched him as Muller visibly wanted no part of it. Blocking his face, Muller eventually fell to the ice, clearly hurt. It was less of a scrap and more of a dangerous assault.
The referees made the right call, ejecting Hunt with a game misconduct, along with a two-minute minor for instigating and a five-minute major for fighting. The Dawg House roared in approval, but more importantly, Hunt’s actions put a player’s safety at risk—a line that should never be crossed. Remarkably, Muller showed incredible toughness, returning to the ice with a bloodied face, ready to keep playing.
The penalties left Roanoke with a massive seven-minute power play, and it didn’t take long for the Dawgs to make Macon pay. A couple of minutes into the advantage, Stephen Alvo rifled a shot into the top corner, extending Roanoke’s lead to 9-1. Since the major penalty continued after the goal, Roanoke wasn’t done yet. Just seconds later, Carson Gallagher added another tally, stretching the lead to an unbelievable 10-1.
At this point, the game spiraled out of control. Tempers boiled over, leading to another scrap after Gallagher’s goal. Roanoke ended up in the penalty box, and the teams played 4-on-4 hockey for two minutes before resuming what was left of Roanoke’s major power play.
Chaos continued after the penalty expired, with yet another skirmish breaking out immediately after the puck drop. This time, Macon was called for cross-checking, putting Roanoke on a 4-on-3 power play. Though both penalties were successfully killed, Macon’s discipline issues persisted. They were soon hit with another penalty—this time for too many men on the ice—handing Roanoke yet another power play opportunity.
The Dawgs took full advantage, as Mac Jansen buried a rebound off a beautiful pass to make it 11-1. Finally, with the score completely out of reach, the clock mercifully ran out, putting an end to what can only be described as a relentless onslaught by Roanoke.
Final Thoughts:
I have to say, it’s not often that I’m left speechless, but that second period from Roanoke was on another level. Especially considering this is a team gearing up for three games in three days during a long weekend—it’s just unreal. The Dawgs came out hungry and relentless, turning what started as a competitive game into an absolute statement performance. The offensive explosion, coupled with a rock-solid defensive effort and some stellar goaltending from Austin Roudebush, made this a game to remember for Roanoke fans. The way they capitalized on their power plays and created opportunities all over the ice was nothing short of masterful.
That being said, credit where it’s due: Macon showed some real grit in the third period until tensions boiled over. Being down that much and still coming out to fight—figuratively and literally—takes heart. It’s not easy to keep playing hard in those situations, but they stuck with it and managed to show flashes of resilience.
From start to finish, this game was a rollercoaster of energy, big hits, and standout plays. Roanoke looked like a team firing on all cylinders, and if they can carry this momentum through the weekend, they’ll be tough to stop. For Macon, it’s about regrouping and channeling that fight into a more disciplined game plan. Tonight was all Dawgs, but there’s still a lot of hockey left to play this season.
