Game #22: Tucson Roadrunners (3) vs Henderson Silver Knights (0)
Game #22: Tucson Roadrunners (3) vs Henderson Silver Knights (0)
SOG: TUC (19) – HSK (33)
PP: TUC (2/4) – HSK (0/2)
HENDERSON SCORING:
TUCSON SCORING: Austin Poganski (3), Andrew Agozzino (7), Kailer Yamamoto (6)
Roadrunners Shut Out Silver Knights 3-0 on Teddy Bear Toss Night
TUCSON, AZ – The Tucson Roadrunners (12-10-0-0) celebrated Teddy Bear Toss Night with a 3-0 victory over the Henderson Silver Knights (6-18-0-0) on Saturday at Tucson Arena. Goalie Matthew Villalta turned aside all 33 shots he faced, earning his second shutout of the season and securing Tucson’s third sweep of the year.
Captain Austin Poganski sparked the Teddy Bear Toss after scoring the first goal midway through the first period to give the Roadrunners an early lead. Forwards Andrew Agozzino and Kailer Yamamoto added two power-play goals in the third to seal the win.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Poganski tipped in rookie defenseman Artem Duda’s point shot to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead, triggering an avalanche of teddy bears from the Tucson faithful. The goal marked Poganski’s second straight game with a point, while Duda recorded his third assist in two games. Defenseman Robbie Russo also earned an assist on the play, bringing his season total to a team-leading 12. Later in the game, he notched his second assist of the game and 13th of the season on Agozzino’s power-play goal. Russo also leads all Tucson defensemen with 13 points.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Agozzino’s third-period power-play goal marked his seventh of the season and extended his point streak to three games. The Roadrunners’ assistant captain has recorded points in seven of his last eight games, compiling four goals and four assists during that stretch. With the goal, Agozzino moved into second place on the team in scoring.
THEY SAID IT
“It was really cool. It was great to see all the fans engaged. And it’s all for a good cause, to donate the teddy bears to charity during Christmas time. It’s awesome, and to able to score that goal is a little extra cherry on top.”
Roadrunners captain Austin Poganski on scoring the Teddy Bear Toss goal.
THE RUNDOWN
First Period
Tucson’s first opportunity came five minutes in, when Ben McCartney carried the puck coast-to-coast, deked around the Henderson defense, and fired a backhand shot on goal. Although the assistant captain couldn’t convert, Poganski scored two minutes later during four-on-four play.
Sokolov and Henderson defenseman Dysin Mayo were sent off following a post-whistle scrum, setting up an offensive-zone draw for the Roadrunners. Poganski won the faceoff back to defenseman Robbie Russo, who snapped the puck to rookie defenseman Artem Duda at the left point. Duda fired a low shot that Poganski deflected over goaltender Akira Schmid’s shoulder, giving the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead at 7:09.
With five minutes remaining, Yamamoto appeared to score on a two-on-one with Andrew Agozzino. Yamamoto beat goaltender Akira Schmid with a wrist shot from close range, but the play was blown dead after Agozzino was pushed into the crease and collided with Schmid. The Roadrunners challenged the ruling on the ice, but the call was upheld, leaving Tucson with a one-goal lead at the end of the period.
Second Period
Mayo’s tripping penalty gave Tucson its second power play of the evening five minutes into the period. The Roadrunners generated a couple of chances off point shots from Duda and defenseman Max Szuber, but Schmid stymied both opportunities to keep it a one-goal game.
Tucson kept up the pressure, and Yamamoto nearly extended the Roadrunners’ lead seven-and-a-half minutes into the period. Yamamoto intercepted a Henderson pass in the neutral zone and sped down the ice with forward Cam Hebig. The pair executed a quick give-and-go, but Schmid denied Yamamoto with a glove save.
The Silver Knights gained momentum in the latter half of the period, controlling much of the play in the final 10 minutes. However, Villalta blocked six shots down the stretch – 11 in total – to keep Tucson’s one-goal lead intact. His biggest save came with three minutes remaining when he stopped a one-timer by Henderson forward Gage Quinney on a two-on-one rush.
Third Period
Henderson defenseman Christoffer Sedoff was called for tripping two minutes into the final period, and the Roadrunners took advantage of its third power-play opportunity of the night. Agozzino received a pass from Russo below the blue line and blasted a one-timer from the right faceoff circle past Schmid to extend Tucson’s lead to 2-0 at 2:24.
Just past the halfway point of the period, Roadrunners defenseman Montana Onyebuchi nearly extended Tucson’s lead to three with a high wrist shot off the rush. However, Schmid stood tall, making the save to keep the Silver Knights within striking distance.
Tucson maintained its aggressive play and earned its fourth power play of the game when Silver Knights defenseman Jake Bischoff was called for tripping at 13:45. On the ensuing man advantage, Yamamoto snapped a quick shot from down low in the slot to extend the Roadrunners’ lead to 3-0 with 5:42 remaining.
In the final minutes, Villalta stopped four more Henderson shots, securing both the win and the shutout.
The Roadrunners will look to make it three straight on Monday night against the San Diego Gulls at Tucson Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. MST. Tickets can be purchased using the link here. The game will be available to stream on AHLTV on FLO HOCKEY.
