Arts, Leisure and Sports
by Doug Doughty/Greg Roberts Live contributor
CHARLOTTESVILLE — It wasn’t too long ago that Clemson came into John Paul Jones Arena and handed Virginia a setback from which the Cavaliers did not recover.
The Cavaliers were tested when the Tigers returned to JPJ on Monday night but 13th-ranked UVa prevailed 64-57.
In its last previous visit to Charlottesville, Clemson had defeated the Cavaliers 67-50 in a 2022 season that ended for UVa with a first-round NIT loss to St. Bonaventure.
Virginia (22-6, 14-5 ACC) is practically assured an NCAA Tournament bid this year but squandered a 14-point lead Tuesday and saw Clemson get as close as 59-55 with 1:18 left.
The Cavaliers, who entertain Louisville (4-26) on Saturday at 2 p.m., had four players in double figures Tuesday night, including a pair of freshmen, Isaac McKneely with 12 points and Ryan Dunn with 10.
Veteran Kihei Clark was 0-for-7 from the field and backcourt mate Reece Beekman was 3-for-7, but they had a combined 14 assists and six steals.
“I think both teams played exceptionally hard,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “They played a little better than we did. They’re very good defensively and they’re hard to get a good rhythm against.
“I thought their two freshmen off the bench were very big in the game and that was the difference in the game. Their bench played better than our bench.”
The UVa reserves outscored their Clemson counterparts 24-7.
The Cavaliers game on a two-game losing streak following losses to Boston College and North Carolina, which beat the Cavaliers 71-63 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
“I told [the UVa players] after the Carolina game that it was a joy for me to see how hard they competed,” Bennett said Tuesday. “I know we got beat against Carolina but I saw in their eyes and I saw in their effort that they competed as hard as we could.
“I told them, ‘Bring that against this match [against Clemson].’ It was far from perfect but it was what we needed. We weren’t going to play 90 against Clemson. They’re playing terrific ball. We just had to do what we could do to the best of our abilities and trust that.”
While Clark was on the floor, the Cavaliers had a + 17 differential.
“It was better than against Carolina and BC,” continued Bennett, whose team missed its first eight shots from the field before going 22-of-46 thereafter.
The Blue Ridge Parkway. Picture taken from Blue Ridge Parkway’s Facebook page.
The 469 mile-long Blue Ridge Parkway that winds its way through the Roanoke Valley drew an estimated 15.7 million visitors in 2022. The parkway was one of only three national parks with more than 10 million recreation visits in the 424-site National Park System. (read full release below)
(NC/VA) – Blue Ridge Parkway managers announced today that an estimated 15.7 million recreation visitors enjoyed the 469-mile scenic park in 2022. Today’s park announcement follows a National Park Service announcement which noted that the Parkway is one of only three parks that had more than 10 million recreation visits in the 424-national park system.
“We recognize the Parkway’s popularity is due in large part to the variety of opportunities and experiences it was designed to provide for the visitor – both on and off the Parkway,” said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout. “Passing through 29 counties across two states, through some of this nation’s most beautiful scenery, the Parkway’s design lends itself to the interests and abilities of many people.”
To learn more about the variety of park experiences available, park visitors and neighbors are encouraged to plan ahead by learning about park resources, finding information about seasonal facility schedules and road projects, locating trail etiquette resources, or book-marking campground information and reservation websites. More tips for planning your Parkway visit are available on the park’s website.
The Parkway remains open, weather permitting, year-round, and the traditional visitor season begins in the spring and continues through fall. Information to help plan your 2023 Parkway visit, including current road and facility status, is available at www.nps.gov/blri.
For an in-depth look at 2022 visitation statistics and national summaries and individual park figures, please visit the National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics website.
A now annual tradition returns for its third year. WFIR’s Emma Thomas has the latest on this year’s “Do Good Days”:
The Star City will be joining Roanoke County, Botetourt, and others across the region in the youth baseball league whose championships are broadcast nationally every year. WFIR’s Emma Thomas has more:
ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Saturday that defensemen Travis Armstrong and Vojtech Zemlicka have been signed ahead of tonight’s game against Knoxville. Armstrong will wear number 11, while Zemlicka will wear number 81.
A native of Smith Falls, Ontario, Armstrong [who has been training with Roanoke Fire-EMS] has appeared on the Rail Yard Dawgs roster each season since the team’s inception. The six-foot-five defenseman originally joined the team after being selected first overall in the 2016 SPHL expansion draft. Armstrong served as the Dawgs’ captain from 2019-22, and he holds the all-time franchise record for games played with 177, as well as the all-time team record for points by a defenseman with 96. Last season, Armstrong notched seven goals and 33 assists before announcing his retirement this past summer.
Zemlicka notched two goals and nine assists in 21 games for Roanoke last season after he changed roles from assistant coach to player in January 2022. He’s played in 216 professional games for ten different teams over the course of six seasons. The Prague, Czech Republic native has suited up in 119 SPHL games during his career, including 61 appearances for Roanoke.
The Rail Yard Dawgs will host the Knoxville Ice Bears tonight, February 25 at 7:05 p.m. EST, and you can watch the game on HockeyTV or listen for free on Mixlr. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available by calling the Rail Yard Dawgs office, visiting the ‘Tickets’ page on our website, or by visiting the Berglund Center box office.
ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (24-14-3) overcame four ejections and a two-goal deficit on Friday night in a wild 4-3 win over the Knoxville Ice Bears (25-15-3) at Berglund Center. C.J. Valerian’s game-winner with 35 seconds left gave Roanoke the lead, after other goals by Josh Nenadal, Mac Jansen, and CJ Stubbs.
The Dawgs roared out of the gate, outshooting Knoxville by 11 over the first 16 or so minutes of the game. Nenadal stuffed a puck from the right wing goal line inside of the post at 4:18 to give the Dawgs the opener. Then, things got wild at the 16:58 mark. Roanoke’s Spencer Kennedy made contact with Knoxville’s Rex Moe, and moments later after their shifts ended, Moe jumped Kennedy within the confines of the Roanoke bench. Knoxville’s entire bench emptied as a brawl erupted over the dasher boards that separated the two teams, outside of Moe entering to get to Kennedy. In all, six game misconducts or match penalties were handed out – for Roanoke: slew-footing to Kennedy, continuing altercations to Stephen Alvo and Dom Marcinkevics – for Knoxville: attempt to injure to Moe, and continuing altercations to Rourke Russell and Nick Pryce. After the penalties were assessed, Knoxville tied the score at 19:06 to swipe the momentum via its captain, Justin MacDonald, and the game was tied at 1-1 entering the intermission.
The second period continued in Knoxville’s favor, with Rasmuz Waxin-Engback finishing off a rebound at 0:36 to give the Ice Bears the lead. At 12:53, Jagger Williamson doubled that advantage on a long-range blast to make it 3-1 Ice Bears. Roanoke got one back on a Jansen power play rip from a tight angle at 15:56, but the Dawgs trailed 3-2 entering the final frame.
Roanoke had to kill three Knoxville power plays in the third period, including three minutes of a major kill after Jarrad Vroman was given a game misconduct/ejection for elbowing at 8:06. Already skating with a short bench, Roanoke dug deep and survived. At 13:17, Stubbs was able to tie the score on a rebound from a Nick Ford shot. The Dawgs had several more chances, but it was a Valerian snipe from the slot in the final minute that gave Roanoke the remarkable comeback win.
Austyn Roudebush stopped 29-of-32 shots faced in net for Roanoke, while Knoxville’s Kristian Stead saved 33 of 37 shots faced. Roanoke went 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Ice Bears were 0-for-4.
Roanoke will stay home on Saturday, February 25 at 7:05 p.m. EST to face the Knoxville Ice Bears at Berglund Center. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available by calling the Rail Yard Dawgs office, visiting the ‘Tickets’ page on our website, or by visiting the Berglund Center box office.
Ahead of the first Festival de Mayo, one organization is stepping up to help vendors prepare. WFIR’s Emma Thomas has that story: