FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Fresh on the heels of a hard-to-swallow OT loss in the Star City last night, the Fayetteville Marksmen returned to a sold-out Crown Coliseum to take on the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs for the second-annual OPERATION: SELLOUT. With over 6000 strong packing in Marksmen home ice, Fayetteville would look to feed off the insatiable energy in the building.
Starting in first period, there were plenty of chances on either side of the ice, but the goaltenders and defense would stand tall through the first 20. A 9-6 shot advantage for the Marksmen wouldn’t mean much more than an advantage in one department on the stat sheet. Both teams would be given a chance on the Power Play, but it wouldn’t lead to anything more than an empty tick on the scoreboard. The most notable part of the period would be a differentiation in style of play between the two teams, in an upheaval in the physicality department. After 20, a scoreless affair would see the tension rise in a crowded Crown.
