Game Preview: Game 1

Marksmen @ Rail Yard Dawgs

7:05PM

Berglund Center

Roanoke, VA

About Tonight:The Fayetteville Marksmen will take on the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs for the first of 13 meetings between the clubs this season. This will also be the first game of record for the Marksmen and Head Coach Nick Mazzolini. Puck drop is at 7:05 pm.

Adding Depth:Ahead of tonight’s contest, the Marksmen have added forward Jake Wood. The 24-year-old from Georgetown, Ontario comes to the Marksmen for his first professional game tonight. The rookie spent the last four seasons at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The Matchup: The Rail Yard Dawgs posted a 17-30-9 record, good for ninth out of the ten team league. It was the first season at the helm for Head Coach Sam Ftorek, who made the transition from assistant with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings to lead the newly founded Dawgs. This season, the Dawgs return 14-skaters who donned their sweaters in the 2016/17 campaign and expect to see significant gain this season.

The Marksmen, on the other hand, only return six skaters from the previous season, and will depend on guys like Brad Campagna, Brad Drobot, and Jake Hauswirth for leadership. With Taylor Thompson in France, the Marksmen will be looking to generate offense throughout the lineup, and will need Hauswirth to continue his scoring pace from last season. The man behind the mask will also look different for Fayetteville fans, as Sean Bonar is now in Pensacola, with the Marksmen bringing in SPHL President’s Cup Champion, Matt Zenzola and journeyman netminder, Peter Di Salvo.

Who to watch for: John Schiavo is a highly-skilled forward who can put up points and showcases soft hands. The key for Schiavo will be time and space, whether he creates it on his own or has help from his linemates.

What’s Next: Tonight’s contest is the lone matchup of the week for the Marksmen. They will play again next Friday, October 27 for the inaugural Home Opener presented by Rimtyme Downtown Fayetteville, when they take on the Huntsville Havoc in back-to-back games.

Suite seats, suite eats. Fans can attend the seven-best games of the season in our Fox Hole Suite, and receive All-You-Can-Eat hotdogs, popcorn, chips, soda, and water! More information is available at: https://marksmenhockey.com/tickets/all-you-can-eat-package/

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The Fayetteville Marksmen are owned and operated by Union Pro Hockey Group and play their home games at Crown Coliseum. The Marksmen are a committed community asset, designed to provide premium entertainment to families and individuals in Cumberland County and surrounding areas.