"SHOT, SCORE, IT'S THE CAPTAIN THAT WINS THE CUP FOR THE RAIL YARD DAWGS!" shouted Mitch Stewart, The Voice of The Rail Yard Dawgs. Just 5 months ago, Roanoke hockey fans heard the call they had been waiting a handful of seasons for. The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs were finally SPHL President Cup Champions, and after an offseason with the cup, there's only one question that remains. Can those Dirty Dawgs from Roanoke, Virginia do it again?
Dirty Dawgs Stay Dirty: Retaining Championship Culture
"What are your thoughts on a championship team heading into the next season?", Coach Dan Bremner asked his players during their intro meetings this off-season. Their response? "Turning the page", and that's exactly what the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs are focused on as they head into the 2023-24 SPHL Season.
"We were somewhat over the celebration by the end of June. It's great to be a champion, and I believe that when you raise the banner on the first night, it'll bring back some of those memories. However, many of the guys have turned the page, and we're looking forward to trying to go back-to-back," said Rail Yard Dawgs Assistant Coach Nick DeVito. Yes, you read that right, Rail Yard Dawgs fans. Stepping off the ice following Roanoke's Presidents Cup win is former Dawgs winger, Nick DeVito, who will be joining the coaching staff of Dan Bremner this season. This move, described as "everything" by Coach Bremner at Thursday's post-practice presser, will also feature the addition of one of the greatest Rail Yard Dawgs and SPHL defensemen to ever skate the ice, Travis Armstrong.
The response provided above by Coach DeVito was, in my opinion, to the most important question asked following a historic championship season: How do you retain that championship culture built the year before? "We have an awesome core that loves to win, yes, but they also love to compete and battle. When you have guys who genuinely love that aspect of the game, it's easy to keep that energy going," said Bremner during Thursday's press conference. With the addition of Dawgs who represent the pure culture behind Roanoke hockey to a staff set to lead a group of 17 returning champions, the answer to retaining that championship culture is truly found in turning the page.
Rail Yard Dawgs Training Camp Roster Preview
As mentioned before, this year's Rail Yard Dawgs Training Camp Roster features 17 returning players from last year's historic season, with 6 of those returnees participating in ECHL Training Camps (Roanoke retains SPHL rights). Alongside the returning champions, the Rail Yard Dawgs are looking towards hopeful youth and new additions to the roster. Below is a preview of the 2023 Rail Yard Dawgs Training Camp Roster.
FORWARDS:
Xavier Filion: Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Nick Ford: Returning SPHL Champion
(C) Mac Jansen: Returning SPHL Champion
Jacob Kelly: Federal Prospects Hockey League
Bruno Kreisz: Estra Liga/Hungary International
Owen McDade: Suomi-sarja (Finland Ice Hockey League)
Josh Nenadal: Returning SPHL Champion
Dillon Radin: Returning SPHL Champion
CJ Stubbs: Returning SPHL Champion
Justin Vernace: NCAA Division III, SUNY-Potsdam
Jordan Xavier: Returning SPHL Champion
DEFENSEMEN:
Dakota Bohn: Federal Prospects Hockey League
Brice French: Federal Prospects Hockey League
Alex Norwinski: American Collegiate Hockey Association, Liberty University
Matt O'Dea: Returning SPHL Champion
Brendan Pepe: Returning SPHL Champion
GOALIES:
Brody Claeys: Returning SPHL Champion
Austyn Roudebush: Returning SPHL Champion
Tyler Roy: Returning SPHL Champion
ECHL CAMPS:
Stephen Alvo (D): Returning SPHL Champion
Alex Dicarlo (F): SPHL Rights Retained
Michael Greco (D): SPHL Rights Retained
Spencer Kennedy (F): SPHL Rights Retained
Sean Leonard (D): Returning SPHL Champion
Steven Leonard (F): SPHL Rights Retained
Dominiks Marcinkevics (F): Returning SPHL Champion
Billy Roche (F): SPHL Rights Retained
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs Training Camp Media Day
The Fantom Sports Network has been honored to hold media credentials for the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs for the past three seasons. Covering hockey in Roanoke has been a dream of ours since we established our platform, and having this opportunity is such an honor. This year, our schedules aligned, and we were able to cover training camp for the first time. We also look forward to introducing new content covering the Dawgs throughout the entire 2023-24 season! Thank you to everyone who allows us to do what we love for the region!
Now, back to training camps and media day. If there is one word to describe Thursday morning, it's energy. The doors were unlocked, and we were hit with energy. Action on the ice. Conversations between players and coaches. The air was filled with a chill and brought goosebumps from the energy. You could sense, this was a serious time for the Dawgs that stood below us.
Below is a training camp highlight reel featuring clips from Thursday's practice, and quotes from the media session which followed.
Speaking of quotes, here are some of the responses The Fantom Sports Network were able to receive during Thursday's presser:
Jackson Garst: What does it mean to add guys like Nick DeVito and Travis Armstrong to your coaching staff?
Coach Bremner: Everything – I mean, it's awesome. Last year, it was Ian solely doing that job, and he was fantastic. He primarily worked with the goalies on the ice and the defense as well. To be able to divide it up by skillsets, Ian, who's a goalie expert, Armstrong, who's already one of the best defenders to ever play in the SPHL, and DeVito, who brings a skillset on the front end that I don't possess myself. I'm looking for his help and input on the power play and that skill aspect of the game.
Jackson Garst: What are your thoughts on the SPHL implementing video replay this season?
Coach Bremner: It's great. It's keeping up with the times. I think every year you hope at the end of the year the bad calls balance out the good calls. If they're able to have video replay and it works smoothly, why not?
Jackson Garst: You can feel the energy around the people, the atmosphere of Roanoke, can you describe how much you enjoy playing for this community and what it would mean to bring another championship back to them?
Mac Jansen: You know, I'm a very emotional guy. I showed it last year with all the championship stuff. I've been here a long time and it means the world. I love this program, I bleed blue, and hopefully we can put in the work with a good group of guys that can be there at the end of the year to do it again.
Jackson Garst: Tons of noise, of course after winning the championship last year. How do you handle that noise and trash talk?
Nick Ford: We'll block it out. We're focused on us. We don't care what people say about us. We know what we have, and we're going to be a good team.
Jackson Garst: Who are some of the young guy standouts that you enjoy playing with heading into the season?
CJ Stubbs: We got Filion who's a heck of a player. McDade is a heck of a player. I mean, from top to bottom honestly. We got a good squad coming in.
Jackson Garst: What are some big goals of the defensive line this year? How are things shaping up so far and who stands out the most?
Matt O'Dea: We look good. Goal is obviously the same thing as last year, to win the championship. Give up less goals, score more than them. In my opinion, I think all of our D stand out. We have a really good core this year, just like last year. We had 2 guys come back from camps already and obviously that makes us that much stronger. Everybody looks great out there.
Jackson Garst: What does it mean to add Travis to the defensive bench and coaching staff this season?
Matt O'Dea: Oh, amazing. Just from watching him play and playing with him, he brings so much poise and veteran leadership the the team. It's nice to be able to pick his brain about what we're supposed to be doing out there. If there's any confusion, he's a hockey guru right? He pretty much knows all. You're not going to stump him with any questions which is incredible for us because we get all the knowledge from him, and get to put it to work.
Jackson Garst: What's it like building the culture inside the locker room?
Josh Nenadal: I think the familiarity around the room plays a big factor in our group right now. Everybody is very comfortable with eachother and that brings newer guys in. Nobody is a shy guy in our room. We're always trying to open up. Sit with someone new, talk to someone new. Really open them up because in this locker room there's no time to be a shy guy. You got to play your game, you got to be comfortable. That comes with communication. Having that face to face with guys that have been here for 3-4 years, having that comfortability, that plays a big factor in our success.
Jackson Garst: What's the atmosphere like in the locker room? What are the major goals the team has set out for everybody?
Josh Nenadal: We haven't worked through goals yet. We're going to slowly work through them heading into the home opener next Friday. But, I mean the ultimate goal for everybody in the room, we've gotten there. We've done it, we've tasted that. Once you get that taste, it's addicting. It's getting back to the games that matter the most, putting ourselves in a good position for home ice advantage in playoffs. We know how big the Berglund is for us in playoffs. Just putting the nose to the grindstone, taking it one day at a time.
Jackson Garst: What is the atmosphere like in the locker room? Who are some big names that are standing out to you so far?
Coach DeVito: As a group we look really, really good. I think we're actually ahead of what we were last season which is incredible. We had guys who came back in great shape. Jansen is picking up where he left off on that last goal, he's moving all over the ice and looks great. We got Ford and Stubbs back as well. I think we're looking really great.
Tyler Smith: Parading the off-season, celebrating the chip is all fun. How do you reset? How do you make sure that culture is right heading into the lockerrom this season?
Coach DeVito: I think the guys will tell you too, we were kinda over the celebration by the end of June. I mean, it's great to be a champion and I think when you raise the banner night one, it'll bring back some memories. A lot of guys have turned the page and we're looking forward to trying to go back to back.
Roanoke Rail Yard Wrap-Up
Tomorrow night, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs will wrap up the championship celebration with one last night of honor as the championship banner is raised high in the rafters of the Berglund Center. Their opponent? A familiar rival from Fayetteville. While the Dawgs took last year's regular season series with 8 wins over the Marksmen's 6, this Fayetteville team has its eye on gaining the upper hand and spoiling the big night. Just as with every team ahead, those "Dirty Dawgs" from Roanoke, Virginia are the biggest target of the year. While Mitch Stewart's famous words, 'Every Dawg Has Its Day,' still resonate in the back of our minds, we all want to know: how can a Dawg have two?
Last season, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs ranked 2nd in all of the SPHL for the fewest goals allowed in the regular season. With 161 goals allowed, only 24 more than the top-ranked Peoria Rivermen, the Rail Yard Dawgs were certain of one thing: they have their goalies. Austyn Roudebush, Brody Claeys, and Tyler Roy are all returning to the ice for the Dawgs this season, and with the 'allow fewer goals' mindset of the defensemen standing in front, these three are bound to show the SPHL why they form a top goalie unit in this league.
Speaking of those defensemen standing in front, things are bound to get dirty as the Dawgs look forward to returning all four champions: Matt O'Dea, Stephen Alvo, Sean Leonard, and Brandon Pepe. This defensive core, with a plus/minus average of +5, tallied 54 assists along with 20 goals and 190 penalty minutes last season, and they're hungry for more. Expect a significant year from this core as they prepare to step back onto the ice and defend their cup.
From defending the ice against opposing teams to taking the ice from opposing teams, this Rail Yard Dawgs team is equipped for battle on both ends. Led by Captain Mac Jansen, who was seen moving all over the ice during training camps, the Rail Yard Dawgs aim to make a significant impact with their offense this season. How is that accomplished? By scoring more goals. How do you accomplish that? By bringing back the seven championship forwards who scored a combined total of 97 regular season and playoff goals. Nick Ford, Josh Nenadal, Dillon Radin, CJ Stubbs, Jordan Xavier, and Dominiks Marcinkevics are all ready to bring their playmaking abilities back to the ice for the Rail Yard Dawgs this season.
While the SPHL only allows 18 players on an active regular season roster, that leaves 4 open spots to be filled heading into the season. Returning 14 defending champions provides a solid foundation for a championship program as they prepare for a new season. With the 'sit with someone new, talk to someone new' mindset that the 'Human Wrecking Ball' Josh Nenadal possesses, adding to that championship culture appears to be no issue for the Dawgs. Xavier Filion and Owen McDade, both described as 'heck of a player' by Dawgs forward CJ Stubbs, are two names to keep an eye on as new additions entering the locker room this season. Alongside them, looking to make his mark at the next level, is a name familiar to this area, defenseman Alex Norwinski, who played for Liberty University from 2018-2022. Norwinski scored 34 goals and accumulated 90 total penalty minutes during his time as a Flame, bringing a spark of hopeful youth to a locker room full of leaders. Other names to watch out for as potential roster hopefuls include Jacob Kelly, Bruno Kreisz, Justin Vernace, Dakota Bohn, and Brice French. Defending champions Alex DiCarlo, Spencer Kennedy, and Billy Roche are taking their talents to the next level, while Roanoke will retain their SPHL rights throughout the season.
Looking through the roster and beyond the goals, only one question remains: How can these Dawgs have yet another successful season? Turning the page, allowing fewer goals, and scoring more are all encouraging goals to set before the season begins. However, once they hit the ice, it's all about execution. How can the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs take a step forward from their 32-19-3-2 championship season? The Power Play, Penalty Killing, and Road Dominance are key areas to focus on. This Rail Yard Dawgs squad faces no fear, but can they improve their ability to capitalize and escape tough situations? With a power play percentage of 18.3% last season, ranking the Dawgs second to last in the entire SPHL, the emphasis is on the stats. This is why Coach Bremner has enlisted Nick DeVito to help with power play and offensive improvements this season.
When it comes to penalty killing, the focus is the same: improvement. Just as taking advantage of the power play was a challenge, escaping the power play was also a struggle for the Dawgs last season, as they ranked 7th in the SPHL with a kill percentage of 78.6%. Coach Bremner has recognized this challenge, which is why he has also enlisted the help of Travis Armstrong for defensive improvement this season.
Improvements are to be made, and in the words of Nick Ford, 'blocking out the noise' should be no issue for the Rail Yard Dawgs this season. Home-ice advantage thrives in the Berglund Center. The Star City creates an electric environment for a night of Dawgs hockey. But how will the Dawgs respond when they face opposing environments on the road as defending champions? With 14 losses on the road last season, a key to this year's success will be how well the Dawgs can handle these challenging away games.
The final chapter will be written tomorrow night as the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs aim to celebrate one last time when the championship banner is raised. But as soon as the banner ascends, it's time to turn the page and get back to business. Defending a championship is no easy task for any team, but once a Dawg has its day, there's always potential for another.
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