WHEREAS, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL, formerly the Southern Professional Hockey League, won the President's Cup on May 2, 2023, at the Berglund Center in Roanoke; and

WHEREAS, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs defeated the Birmingham Bulls in overtime by a score of 2–1 to bring home the first SPHL President's Cup in franchise history; and

WHEREAS, despite giving up the equalizing goal with only seconds on the clock in the third period, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs regrouped and persevered to clinch the championship title within three minutes of overtime play; and

WHEREAS, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs' victory was a total team effort, with Josh Nenadal and captain Mac Jansen scoring the first and second goals of the contest, respectively; and

WHEREAS, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs were kept in the game by goaltender Austyn Roudebush, who stopped 18 of 19 shots and earned President's Cup Final Most Valuable Player honors; and

WHEREAS, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs have benefited greatly from the support of the Roanoke community since the team returned to the city seven years ago, and more than 5,300 faithful fans were on hand at the Berglund Center to rejoice in the team's historic moment; and

WHEREAS, the success of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs was made possible by the skill and determination of the players, the leadership and motivation of their coaches and trainers, and the unflagging support of the Roanoke community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs hereby be commended for winning the 2023 SPHL President's Cup; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Dan Bremner, head coach of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the team's achievement.