ROANOKE, Va. – Jeff Jones scored for the third straight game and Shayne Morrissey had a goal and an assist, but the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs were defeated by the Knoxville Ice Bears, 7-4, Saturday night at Berglund Center.
Roanoke got on the board first in the opening period following a flurry in its attacking zone. Jones tracked down a rebound at the bottom of the left-wing circle, spun and fired a shot that sneaked through the short side of Hayden Stewart. The goal was his third in as many games, and the Dawgs grabbed a 1-0 lead.
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Knoxville punched back, however, with two goals in the first minute of the second period. First, Scott Cuthrell sneaked a rebound through Stephen Klein, then Anthony McVeigh poked a bouncing puck over his shoulder to make it 2-1.
The Rail Yard Dawgs answered and tied it while working on a power play. Morrissey ripped a shot from the right-wing circle that beat Stewart on the blocker side making the score 2-2.
Knoxville kept coming, though, and took the lead back when Jacob Benson redirected a Brady Fleurent shot. Roanoke again tied things up after Brant Sherwood intercepted a clearing pass and rocketed a shot five hole past Stewart to make it 3-3. But Knoxville again took the lead back nine seconds later winning a face-off and a dump in leading to a loose puck in Klein's crease. As the Roanoke goalie tried to cover, Marly Quince knocked the puck in and the score was 4-3.
The Dawgs once again tied the score in the opening minute of the third period on a Vojtech Zemlicka wrister from the high slot. Knoxville answered within a minute, though, when a Roanoke turnover led Riley Christensen alone in the slot for a shot that went five hole on Klein and made the score 5-4.
The Ice Bears added two more in the period as Cuthrell scored again and Pierre Ouellette added an insurance marker to push the score to its 7-4 final.
Morrissey had a goal and two assists, and both Jones and Zemlicka finished with a goal and an assist. Klein faced 44 shots and made 37 saves before being pulled for Jake Theut, who made five saves on five shots.
Roanoke fell to 1-4-1 with the loss while Knoxville improved to 3-2-0. The Rail Yard Dawgs will return to action Friday at home against the Fayetteville Marksmen. Puck drop at Berglund Center is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the pregame show on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network begins at 6:50 p.m.