MACON, GA – The Macon Mayhem would look to put the foot on the throttle as they welcomed in the Roanoke Railyard Dawgs to wrap up the season series.
Roanoke would dominate possession early in the opening period, but Macon would be the ones to break through first. Billy Jerry, Justin Cmunt, and Jake Goldowski would combine some tic-tac-toe passes to set up Goldowski in the high slot. Goldowski would be very poised in his effort to beat Roudebush. After a defensive zone turnover by Macon, Tommy Munichiello would score against his former club to even the contest at one. The Mayhem would answer right back, however. David Nippard would find a streaking Billy Jerry who would race down the right side and toward the goal crease. Jerry would beat Roudebush with a crisp backhand to recapture the Mayhem advantage. Macon would ride that momentum through the rest of the period and dominate the possession in the latter part of the period to hold a 2-1 lead at the break.
Early in the second frame, Jake Goldowski and Joey Berkopec would each show their silky smooth mitts as they puck-handled through the Dawgs’ defense; Berkopec would expertly slot it in the five-hole to make it 3-1 Mayhem. Brody Claeys and the Mayhem’s penalty kill unit would define the rest of the period as Roanoke struggled to take advantage of their man advantage. Claeys and the Mayhem would kill off three two-minute minors throughout the frame. After a five-minute major was assessed to Brad Jenion, Macon’s penalty kill unit would be put to the test. They would ace it through the second frame, killing off the first 3:21 minutes to hold a 3-1 lead at intermission. Tanner Nagel would block several shots while Macon was short a man, and Brody Claeys would stop 31 of the first 32 shots he faced against his longtime former club.
The Mayhem would kill off the rest of the major to get back to even strength. Later in the period, Bailey Morrissette would send Billy Jerry on a rush down the left side; Jerry would power a shot under the pads of Roudebush to stretch the lead to three. Roanoke would pull one back on the powerplay late as Munichiello picked out McDade who scored. The Dawgs would go all in with the empty net. Alex Laplante would get loose on the breakaway but would be taken down. As a result, Laplante and the Mayhem would be awarded their fifth goal of the night; for Laplante, the goal would be his 23rd of the season, tying Rhett Kingston’s franchise record for rookie goals. The game would take a feisty turn from there as five different players were sent to the showers with 10-minute misconducts. That would be all she wrote as Brody Claeys stopped 39/41 en route to a big 5-2 win against his former club.
The Macon Mayhem will return home to host the Birmingham Bulls for a weekend series this Friday. On Friday night, the Mayhem will be donning special dinosaur jerseys on Dino Race Night; fans are encouraged to come dress in inflatable dinosaur costumes to get in for free and run a race at intermission. Then on Saturday, it’s Pucks and Paws Night where your furry friend can join the fun. Tickets start at just $15. For tickets or more information, visit maconmayhem.com or call us at 478-803-1592.
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