Rail Yard Dawgs Extend Winning Streak To Nine (2-28-25)

By: Joey Raymond 

Headline Photo Credit: Katie Raymond-LMS Network

Roanoke, VA –The hottest team in the SPHL is back on home ice tonight, looking to extend a franchise-best run in front of a sold-out crowd. The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs entered Friday night’s matchup riding an eight-game winning streak, just one victory shy of tying their record. Goaltenders Tyler Roy and Austyn Roudebush have been the backbone of the surge, earning SPHL Co-Players of the Week honors after combining for a .958 save percentage over the last five games. With C.J. Valerian returning from his ECHL stint and Johnny MacDonald back from injury, Roanoke’s roster is only getting stronger as they push for the top spot in the league.

Standing in their way is a Pensacola team undergoing a major transition. The Ice Flyers recently brought back Rod Aldoff for his fourth stint behind the bench after parting ways with Gary Graham. A three-time President’s Cup champion and former SPHL Coach of the Year, Aldoff has a proven track record in Pensacola but faces an uphill battle to pull his team out of tenth place and back into playoff contention. The Ice Flyers would also be without starting goaltender Brody Claeys, leaving Ricardo Gonzalez and rookie AJ Ruskowski to hold the fort against a relentless Roanoke offense. With both teams desperate for points—one to keep climbing, the other to stay alive—Friday night’s game had all the makings of a thriller. Let’s break down what happened during the Dawgs’ first-ever home sell-out at the ‘Dawg House’. 

First Period

Right from the opening puck drop, there was some surprising chirpiness between the two squads. Both teams could feel the energy in the arena—it was loud and electric, and the fans made sure everyone knew it. It was as if the building itself was alive, breathing with every shot, almost as if they were trying to will the puck into the Pensacola net.

Finally, with 6:37 left in the period, the Dawgs gave their fans something to bark about. Roanoke swarmed the Ice Flyers’ crease, hammering away at rebounds until Daniel Chladek finally lifted the puck top shelf to break the deadlock. The goal was extra special for Chladek—it was his first as a Rail Yard Dawg, and the crowd erupted in celebration. The decibel levels hit near-dangerous levels. The rest of the period would come and go with no penalties or goals, and the Dawgs would head into the intermission with the lead. 

Second Period

The Dawgs came out firing to start the second period, putting a couple of quick shots on goal within the first 30 seconds. But after the initial surge, the pace evened out, and both teams settled in. The next big moment wouldn’t come until 14:42 remained on the clock when Pensacola’s Jake Hamilton was called for interference, giving Roanoke its first power play of the night. The Ice Flyers had a few shaky moments but held firm, killing off the penalty to keep the Dawgs from extending their lead.

Then, just like that, the tension in the building snapped. With 10:12 left in the period, Roanoke’s Brenden Pepe and Pensacola’s Lukas Jirousek dropped the mitts and went at it. The fight stemmed from a roughing penalty called on Mac Jansen, and after the whistle, Pepe and Jirousek wasted no time squaring off. The crowd at Berglund Center exploded, the energy reaching a fever pitch—only for it to be immediately deflated when Pensacola took advantage of the ensuing power play. Just moments after the fight, Blake Tosto buried a shot for the Ice Flyers, tying the game at 1-1.

Roanoke, however, wasn’t about to let the momentum slip away. With 3:15 left in the period, Daniel Chladek found himself open once again and ripped an absolute rocket past the Pensacola goaltender, sending the crowd into another frenzy. His second goal of the night restored the Dawgs’ lead, making it 2-1 heading into the third period.

Third Period & Overtime

After a quiet start to the third period, the Ice Flyers were the first to break through. Jonathan Bartuccio-Pereira capitalized on a clean look and buried the puck, tying the game at 2-2. The goal injected new life into Pensacola, and for the next several minutes, they dictated the pace, forcing the Dawgs to dig deep defensively and weather the storm.

What followed was a stretch of relentless, hard-hitting hockey. Neither team wanted to give an inch, and every battle along the boards felt like a war of attrition. The boards rattled with each thunderous check, and loose pucks became scrappy, desperate fights for possession. Despite the intensity, both defenses held firm, limiting high-danger chances and keeping the game locked in a dead heat.

With no penalties or goals after Pensacola’s equalizer, the tension in the building became almost unbearable. The crowd, once deafening, grew anxious, knowing that a single mistake could be the difference. Both teams continued pressing, but as the final horn of regulation sounded, nothing had changed. We were heading to overtime—three-on-three, next goal wins.

What followed was five of the most stressful minutes Dawgs fans have endured all season. Pensacola controlled the puck for the majority of overtime, aided by some questionable no-calls from the officials. Despite the adversity, Roanoke’s defense held strong, refusing to break under pressure and keeping the game alive.

With no winner decided in overtime, the game came down to a shootout. Roanoke’s goaltending stood tall as the Ice Flyers failed to find the back of the net, while the Dawgs delivered when it mattered most. Sweeping the shootout, Roanoke secured the 3-2 victory, sending the Berglund Center into a frenzy and extending their winning streak to nine games.