ROANOKE, Va – It was a weekend doubleheader at the Berglund Center, with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs hosting the Evansville Thunderbolts.
The Friday night game was explosive, with Roanoke goalie Tyler Roy having a shutout (31 saves) and Dawgs forward Savva Smirnov not only getting his first pro goal, but netting a hat trick as well. With a final score of 7-0, the entire crowd was on their feet, loud and proud. Even a goalie switch on the Thunderbolts side late in the second period, couldn’t hold back the Dawgs Friday night.
Saturday night couldn’t have been more different. The first period saw Roanoke with the only goal, but Evansville suddenly exploded and took control in the second period, taking the lead 2-1. The Dawgs tied it up in the third period as both teams scored, making it 3-3, forcing overtime. Evansville took the 4-3 win less than a minute into OT, with a blue line shot from Dmitry Yushkevich.
Check out this photo gallery from Inside The Rink’s Michele Hancock, for highlights from the game.
