ROANOKE, Va. – As a new season approaches for the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, the 2023 SPHL President’s Cup Champion Rail Yard Dawgs admit complacency set in last season.
“We know we fell short last year,” said head coach Dan Bremner during the teams recent media day.
“There’s only one team happy at the end of the year and it wasn’t us,” said forward Owen McDade.
With that, the team returns to the ice with a fresh mindset and even a new approach at the offensive end of the ice. Accountability and aggression will be at the forefront.
“We’re looking for a bit of a different mold this year too and a little bit of a heavier ‘going to the net’ mentality,” Bremner said. “We’re going to be trying to be a bit heavier and as far as our size but also just the way we play the game. That doesn’t necessarily mean all the bodies are going to be bigger but we’re going to play a (0:15) heavy game.”
Since Bremner stepped in as head coach in December of 2017, the team has always aimed to bring speed and aggression. Some players admit that both of those aspects weren’t present throughout the 2023-2024 season.
“I think it kind of puts a little more weight on those guys that have been here to show the new guys the way and show them our Dawgs identity that you know we want to play with all year and then go into playoffs,” said Rail Yard Dawgs forward and captain Mac Jansen.
Roanoke has a great balance of newcomers and experienced players, with the likes of Mac Jansen, Matt O’Dea, Nick Ford, CJ Valerian and Austyn Roudebush all back in the Star City. Among the new faces that have inked a contract with the team is former Liberty University goaltender, Hunter Virostek.
The Rail Yard Dawgs open the 2024-2025 season Friday night at home with the Fayetteville Marksmen.