HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Huntsville Havoc are poised for a thrilling semifinal matchup against the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs.
During the regular season, the Havoc went 4-1-2 against Roanoke behind strong performances from Eric Henderson and Phil Elgstam. Henderson notched an impressive seven points against Roanoke, including a standout game where he contributed two goals and two assists. Elgstam mirrored this feat with his own seven points against Roanoke, tallying three goals and four assists.
The reigning champion Rail Yard Dawgs won their first-round matchup against the Quad City Storm with two of their games going to overtime. F CJ Stubbs leads the Dawgs with 5 points in the three-game series. The Dawgs were backstopped by G Austyn Roudebush where he earned a 1.97 GAA and a .938 save percentage.
“It’s kind of the opposite story from the last series for us.” said Head Coach Stuart Stefan, “We’ve been pretty successful against Roanoke this season, while not playing the cleanest games. We always found a way to win but kind of let our systems go. It’s important that we stay within our systems, especially against a team like Roanoke.”
In the opening round of the SPHL Playoffs, the Havoc completed a sweep over the Fayetteville Marksmen. Opening the series on home ice at the Huntsville Ice Sports Center, the Havoc came out skating fast and checking hard, setting the tempo early. Dylan Stewart and Buster Larsson led the charge, giving the Havoc a 2-1 advantage heading into the final period. Robbie Fisher sealed the deal with an empty-net goal. In game two, an impressive performance from the penalty kill gave the Havoc a commanding 7-2 win. The penalty kill unit stifled the Marksmen’s power play, going 5-for-6 and netting four shorthanded goals.
“We knew heading into the first round that we needed to set the tone.” said forward Kyle Clarke, “As a group, we felt really good about being able to beat any team if we’re playing the right way. The last series showed us that if we’re all on the same page, we can compete with anyone.”
The Havoc will start the semifinals at the Huntsville Ice Sports Complex again, however, if they’re able to win the series, they’ll be returning to the VBC.
“It’s something on our minds for sure,” said defenseman Alex Kielczewski, “We all want to play at the VBC again. That being said, the atmosphere at the HISC has been next level. While it may not be our true home ice, we feel the home-ice advantage.”
The puck drops at 7:45 PM at the Huntsville Ice Sports Center. You can see the entire schedule below:
- Game One: Wednesday, April 15th, 7:45 PM CST
- Venue: Huntsville Ice Sports Center, Huntsville, AL
- Game Two: Friday, April 19th, 7:00 PM EST
- Venue: Berglund Center, Roanoke, VA
- Game Three (if necessary): Saturday, April 20th, 3:00 PM EST
- Venue: Berglund Center, Roanoke, VA
