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SPHL Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs

Rail Yard Dawgs Game Notes: Rail Yard Dawgs (26-23-4) vs Ice Flyers (25-22-6) - 7:05 PM

March 30, 2019 - SPHL (SPHL)
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs News Release


ROANOKE RAIL YARD DAWGS

(26-23-4), T-6th SPHL, 56 Pts

PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS

(25-22-6), T-6th SPHL, 56 Pts

Saturday - 7:05 PM

Berglund Center - Roanoke, VA

Haley Toyota Broadcast: SPHL Live | Mixlr

Referee: Steven Hoshaw| Linesmen: Derek Howard, Matthew Pettigrew

LAST TIME OUT: Steve Mele scored three times including the game-winner in the shootout, Jacob Caffrey came off the bench to make 12 saves and went 5-for-5 in the shootout as the Rail Yard Dawgs beat the Pensacola Ice Flyers, 4-3, Friday night at Berglund Center.

LOG JAM: The Rail Yard Dawgs come into Saturday's game in a three-game tie for sixth place in the SPHL. Roanoke, Pensacola and Fayetteville each have 56 points, with each team only one point behind fifth-place Macon. However, thanks to the SPHL's Challenge Round playoff format, there is not much difference between finishing fifth and eighth. Those four teams are all eligible to be selected as a first round opponent by the top three seeds.

HATS OFF: Steve Mele finished with three goals on Friday night, his second career hat trick and the second of the season for the Rail Yard Dawgs. Eric Witzel previously recorded a hat trick in a 5-3 loss to the Fayetteville Marksmen on December 26. Mele's first career hat trick came in his second ever SPHL game on December 12, 2013 as a member of the Columbus Cottonmouths. Mele finished with four goals and an assist in an 8-6 win over the Louisiana IceGators and his then teammate Dan Bremner also scored a goal in the win.

IN EXTRA TIME: Friday was the ninth Roanoke game this season to require more than 60 minutes for a decision and the Dawgs improved to 5-4 during such games. They are now 3-1 in shootouts and 2-3 in games decided during the 3-on-3 portion of OT. Jacob Caffrey did not allow and goals during the shootout and has now stopped 17 of the 22 shootout attempts he's faced this season.

THE HOME FINALE: Saturday is the final regular season home game of the season for the Rail Yard Dawgs. Roanoke will finish out its regular season schedule with a pair of games on the road against Birmingham next weekend. The Dawgs are 15-11-1 at home this season as opposed to 11-12-3 on the road. Roanoke is guaranteed one home playoff game that will take place at Berglund Center during the week of April 8.

ON THE OTHER SIDE: Pensacola entered the weekend set with the Dawgs fresh off having a five-game winning streak and an 11-game point streak snapped. The Ice Flyers fell to the Huntsville Havoc, 5-2, on Tuesday night in Alabama. That loss, coupled with the shootout setback against the Dawgs on Friday, represents the first time Pensacola had lost back-to-back games since dropping four in a row from January 26-February 2. Prior to the last two games, Pensacola had been 15-1-1 in its previous 17.

UP NEXT: The Rail Yard Dawgs will hit the road for Pelham, Alabama to take on the Birmingham Bulls in the final weekend of the regular season. Friday night's puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM CDT at the Pelham Civic Complex.

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