The Rail Yard Dawgs (0-1) came up just short to the Quad City Storm (1-0) in Game One of the first round in the 2024 President’s Cup Playoffs on Tuesday night, falling 3-2 in overtime at Vibrant Arena at the Mark. Dom Marcinkevics and Brenden Stanko scored goals for Roanoke, but Hayden Hulton’s overtime goal gave the Storm the victory. The win by Quad City gives the Storm a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
It was a back-and-forth track meet in the opening period, with the two sides combining for 30 shots on goal in the first 20 minutes. A great effort play by Stubbs would set up Roanoke’s first goal at 6:36, as he laid out to poke a puck to Marcinkevics. From the right goal line, Marcinkevics blasted a tight angle shot into the net to make it 1-0 for the Dawgs. A power play just a few minutes later saw the Dawgs double their advantage, as Stanko tipped a one-time shot by Jacob Kelly from the right wing side into the Quad City cage. The Storm did have two late power play chances and the final seven shots on goal of the period, but excellent goaltending by Roudebush kept the Dawgs in front by a pair at the first intermission.
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The Dawgs began to control the tempo in the second period, outshooting the Storm 16-7, but Quad City goaltender Brent Moran was outstanding during the middle frame. He stopped all 16 of Roanoke’s shots, and a long-range chance by Logan Nelson at 15:30 dinged off of the post and in to make it a 2-1 game late in the period. Roanoke would lead by a goal heading to the third period.
Both defenses stepped up big time in the third period, as nearly 12 minutes into the frame there were only eight combined shots on net. A 2-on-2 transition for Quad City would set up the game’s tying goal at 15:02, as Leif Mattson fired a drop pass from Weiland Parrish in the high slot to knot the score at 2-all. Game One would need overtime in Illinois.
Roanoke would tally the first four shots on goal in overtime, putting a ton of pressure on the Quad City net. Once the Storm finally got an offensive zone possession, a couple of wide shots finally set up Hulton to collect a rebound behind the Roanoke cage, and he wrapped the puck just inside the right goal post at 2:53 to give Quad City the 3-2 win in overtime. Roanoke must win on Friday to force a Game Three, which would be on Saturday night.