Contact: awest@thesphl.com
HUNTERSVILLE, NC (April 28, 2023) – The Southern Professional Hockey League continues the finals of the 2023 SPHL Presidents Cup Playoffs tonight with Roanoke on the road to take on Birmingham in Game 2. You can follow all the action this postseason at www.sphltv.com
Roanoke @ Birmingham (8:00 p.m. EST, 7:00 p.m. CST)
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs (32-19-5 | 4th Seed)
• In Game 1, Nick Ford was involved in three of the four Dawgs’ goals (1g, 2a) as Roanoke took Game 1 by a final score of 4-2.
• Nick DeVito notched the 16th hat-trick in SPHL playoff history (first ever for Roanoke in the Playoffs) in game two against Peoria, scoring all three goals for the Dawgs in a 5-3 loss. Picked up two more goals in game three to help get the Dawgs back to the SPHL Presidents Cup Final for the second consecutive year.
• Gehrett Sargis scored three times in the Dawgs’ opening-round sweep of Evansville. Added two goals in the Dawgs’ game three win against Peoria.
• Austyn Roudebush has been a brick wall in net for the Dawgs, posting a 4-1-0 record, 0.932 SV%, and a 2.21 goals-against average.
• Billy Vizzo and Mac Jansen led the Dawgs with 19 goals.
• Nick Ford (16g, 38a) led the Dawgs with 54 points.
• Ford’s 38 assists led the Dawgs in the regular season.
• Goalie Austyn Roudebush posted a league-best 24 wins and was third with a 2.52 goals-against average.
• Roanoke was 2-1-1 against Birmingham in the regular season. Defeated Evansville 2 Games to 0 in round one, and then defeated Peoria 2 Games to 1 to advance to the Presidents Cup Final.
Birmingham Bulls (37-16-4 | 2nd Seed)
• Jake Pappalardo leads the Bulls with eight playoff points (4g, 4a).
• Pappalardo was involved in both of the Bulls’ goals on Thursday night, picking up a goal and an assist in their 4-2 Game 1 loss to Roanoke.
• Carson Rose also has six playoff points, (3g, 3a) one of which was the game-winning goal in overtime of game one to defeat Huntsville 3-2.
• Michael Gillespie finished tied for second in the league with 27 goals.
• Gillespie was named to the All-SPHL 1st team after recording 60 points (27g, 33a)
• Mike Davis finished tied for sixth in the league with 23 goals.
• Goaltenders Austin Lotz and Hayden Stewart are a combined 4-0-2 in the playoffs through two rounds, they have combined to post a 1.91 goals-against average and a 0.924 SV%.
• Goalie Austin Lotz finished tied for the league lead with 24 wins and his 2.73 gaa was seventh-best in the league.
• Hayden Stewart became the first goalie in SPHL history to score a goal when he netted an empty-net goal in the waning seconds against Evansville on March 18, 2023.
• Birmingham was a league-best 28-2-1 this season when scoring first.
• Birmingham was 2-2-0 against Roanoke in the regular season. Defeated Fayetteville 2 Games to 1 in round one. Defeated Huntsville in the battle for Alabama, 2 Games to 1 to advance to the Presidents Cup Final.
