ROANOKE, Va. – The Rail Yard Dawgs earned a point for the fourth straight game, but couldn’t secure the victory in a 4-3 shootout loss to first-place Huntsville on Sunday afternoon.
After going to a shootout against the Havoc last night, the game was knotted up again after overtime. Both teams saw three of their first five shooters score respectively, forcing sudden death. Sy Nutkevich scored for the Havoc on their seventh attempt, while CJ Stubbs couldn’t fling the backhand over the glove of Huntsville goalie Max Milosek.
Huntsville’s Rob Darrar opened the scoring unassisted in the first period, but Jeff Jones answered for the Dawgs by tapping home a perfect pass by Nick Ford to make it 1-1. That score held into the first intermission, and Huntsville reinstated its lead through captain Tyler Piacentini once play resumed in the second period. Just 2:29 later, Logan Fredericks equalized for the Dawgs on a slapshot in the slot once Billy Vizzo played him the puck.
Mac Jansen forced a turnover seven minutes and three seconds into the final period to give Roanoke its first lead with a snipe over Milosek’s blocker. The Havoc tied the game on a Nutkevich power play goal, their first power play goal on eight attempts this weekend despite converting 43 percent of power plays entering Saturday’s game.
The overtime period saw outstanding end-to-end action that saw great chances for both teams stuffed by each goaltender. Jacob Barber, Nutkevich, and Piacentini scored on Huntsville’s first five attempts, while Ford, CJ Stubbs, and Vizzo found the back of the next on Roanoke’s first five shootout chances. After Barber and Ford both failed to convert, Nutkevich scored and Stubbs couldn’t light the lamp to continue the game.
Brody Claeys saved 26-of-30 shots that he faced for Roanoke, while Huntsville’s Milosek kept out 26-of-29 shot attempts by the Dawgs.
Roanoke returns to Berglund Center next weekend for a doubleheader against the Vermilion County Bobcats. The puck drop for both Friday and Saturday night is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.