FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Simon Boyko registered his first professional hat-trick and Tyler Love notched his first goal as the Fayetteville Marksmen downed the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 6-2 in front of over 8,500 fans to move into fourth place Thursday at the Crown Coliseum. 

The home team took an early lead, with Boyko (19) scoring on a cross-ice feed from Adam Pitters (2) and Connor Fries (11) at 3:45 of the opening period. Fayetteville then doubled its lead while on a powerplay when Tyler Kobryn (12) potted in a tipped puck from Boyko (20) and Matt Araujo (20). The Marksmen took a 2-0 score, and 16-7 shot advantage into the intermission. 

Roanoke answered with an early second period goal to pull within one, but exactly one minute later, Boyko answered. Goaltender Brandon Perrone swept the puck to Alex Wilkins, who sent Boyko up the ice on a one-on-one into the zone. Boyko (20) waited for the defenseman to take the slot before firing in his second of the game at 4:47 for Fayetteville’s only goal in the middle frame. 

For the first 12 minutes of the third, Fayetteville held Roanoke without a shot on goal, all while increasing its lead by three goals. Tyler Barrow (14) finished on another powerplay opportunity from Love (3) and Grant Loven (21) over five minutes in, and moments later, Boyko (21) completed his hat-trick from Pitters (3). Love iced the game with his first, firing a deflected shot in from the wall. The Rail Yard Dawgs found the back of the net once more by the final horn, but the Marksmen got back in the win column with a 6-2 final, 

The Marksmen take on the Knoxville Ice Bears on the road Friday, before returning home for Reapers Night on Saturday, March 16 at 6PM. 

Single-game tickets to Reapers Night, and the pre-game Fayetteville Eats Food Festival, are available at marksmenhockey.com.