Arts, Leisure and Sports
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:
“Glory Denied” is not your typical opera … its based on a book of the same name about Colonel Jim Thompson … one of the first prisoners of war taken by the North Vietnamese in 1964. It was not known for many years what had happened to him. His wife Alice had to move on with her life – along with their four children. “Glory Denied” is a powerful story with the Libretto – the text of the opera – based on Jim Thompson’s interviews for the book. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has more on “Glory Denied” – on stage twice this weekend at Jefferson Center – in this “Longer Listen” segment:
