Game #31: Tucson Roadrunners (4) @ Coachella Valley Firebirds (1)
Game #31: Tucson Roadrunners (4) at Coachella Valley Firebirds (1)
SOG: TUC (29) – CVF (30)
PP: TUC (1/4) – CVF (1/4)
COACHELLA VALLEY SCORING: Jani Nyman (12)
TUCSON SCORING: Andrew Agozzino (10), Josh Doan (8), Travis Barron (2), Egor Sokolov (11)
Doan, Ingram Lead Roadrunners to 4-1 Win Over Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley, CA – The Tucson Roadrunners (18-12-1-0) scored three first-period goals and cruised to a 4-1 win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds (17-12-1-4) on Wednesday at Acrisure Arena. The victory marked Tucson’s fourth in their last five road games and moved them into fifth place in the Pacific Division with 37 points, just two behind the Firebirds and three back of the third-place San Jose Barracuda.
Alternate captain Andrew Agozzino got Tucson on the board five minutes in, capitalizing on a two-man advantage. 2025 AHL All-Star Josh Doan assisted on Agozzino’s goal and scored one of his own three minutes later, finishing the night with a game-high two points. The Firebirds responded late in the first period, cutting the deficit to 2-1, but forward Travis Barron restored Tucson’s two-goal cushion with 1:31 left in the frame. Egor Sokolov secured the win with an empty-net goal in the third.
Goaltender Connor Ingram stopped 29 of 30 shots to win his first start in over seven weeks. The Utah Hockey Club netminder has been sidelined since Nov. 20 with an upper-body injury, but looked sharp in his first game back. Ingram joined the Roadrunners on Dec. 31 on a conditioning loan as part of his recovery process.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Fresh off being named to the 2025 AHL All-Star roster earlier in the day, Doan made an immediate impact and contributed to both of Tucson’s first two goals. He assisted on Agozzino’s game-opening tally and scored just over three minutes later to extend the Roadrunners’ lead to 2-0. Doan’s two-point first period marked his sixth multi-point game of the season, tying him for the team lead in that category. His assist on Agozzino’s power-play goal was his ninth power-play point of the season (3 goals, 6 assists), which ranks second on the team. Additionally, Doan now has four assists in his last three games.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Agozzino snapped Tucson’s four-game power-play drought on Wednesday, opening the scoring with an early goal on the man-advantage. The tally marked Agozzino’s team-high 10th power-play point of the season. He is now tied with forward Egor Sokolov for the team lead in both points (24) and power-play goals (4). The goal also marked Agozzino’s 10th of the season, ranking second behind Sokolov, who leads with 11.
THEY SAID IT
“You saw it in the third period, he made some real big saves. He looked great all night. He was just a real calming presence for us back there, especially when they had a little push.”
Roadrunners alternate captain Andrew Agozzino on goaltender Connor Ingram.
THE RUNDOWN
First Period
Both teams traded five-on-three power-play goals in the opening period, but the Roadrunners grabbed a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes, courtesy of two goals off the rush.
Five minutes into the game, back-to-back penalties against the Firebirds gave Tucson a two-man advantage. Just 10 seconds into the five-on-three power play, Kailer Yamamoto found Agozzino with a cross-ice pass from the top of the left circle. Agozzino one-timed a slap shot past Firebirds goaltender Ales Stezka, beating him near side to open the scoring.
Tucson doubled their lead at 8:20 of the period. Captain Austin Poganski led a three-on-two rush into the Firebirds’ zone and dropped the puck to Doan above the right circle. Doan unleashed a blistering shot, bar-down, that flew in and out of the net so quickly that a video review was needed to confirm the goal. Officials upheld the play, extending the Roadrunners’ lead to 2-0.
The Firebirds responded late in the period, capitalizing on a five-on-three power play of their own. Brandon Biro set up Jani Nyman for a one-timer in the slot, and Nyman scored bar-down strike to cut Tucson’s lead to 2-1. Ingram had little chance to stop the shot but rebounded with a clutch glove save against Max Lajoie’s close-range backhander in the final minutes.
Tucson restored their two-goal cushion with 90 seconds remaining in the period. A high Firebirds shot caromed off the glass, sparking a quick breakout. Hunter Drew collected the puck in the neutral zone and passed to Barron along the right-wing boards. Barron’s attempted pass to Drew deflected off the skate of Coachella Valley’s Logan Morrison and into the net, giving the Roadrunners a 3-1 advantage.
The Roadrunners nearly added another 10 seconds later. Yamamoto was hauled down on a near breakaway by Firebirds defenseman Nikolas Brouillard with 1:16 left, earning a penalty shot. Yamamoto’s deke attempt was denied by Stezka’s kick save, keeping the score 3-1 heading into the second period.
Second Period
The Roadrunners held onto their 3-1 lead after a fast-paced, scoreless middle frame filled with end-to-end action and strong goaltending on both sides.
The period’s frenetic pace started early, as the Roadrunners drew a power play just under three minutes into the frame. Tucson defenseman Lleyton Moore was taken down while crashing the net after Barron fired a hard slap shot from the left circle. Tucson’s best chance came on Cameron Hebig’s sharp-angle wrist shot, but Stezka got just enough of the puck to deflect it out of play. Coachella Valley killed the penalty by blocking several shot attempts, which they mostly kept to the perimeter.
Tucson responded defensively, with Barron blocking a blistering point shot to thwart a Firebirds chance. Coachella Valley’s pressure ramped up moments later, but Ingram stood tall and denied Morrison’s one-timer from the slot to preserve the two-goal advantage.
Midway through the period, Ben McCartney drove into the Firebirds’ zone and attempted to weave past a defender. The puck was poked loose, and Sam Lipkin pounced on it and fired a quick shot from above the crease, but Stezka shut the door on the rookie forward.
A minute later, defenseman Max Szuber circled behind the Firebirds’ net and found Drew and Curtis Douglas battling for position in front. The duo took several whacks at the rebound before Stezka was able to secure the loose puck.
Tucson’s pressure continued late in the period. With under five minutes remaining, Barron set up Douglas for a one-timer, but the rolling puck bounced off Douglas’ stick before he could fire it on goal. In the final minute, Drew fed McCartney for another one-time opportunity, but McCartney was hauled down by Max Lajoie during his shot attempt, drawing a penalty. The Roadrunners ended the period with momentum, earning 1:22 of power-play time to start the third.
Third Period
The Roadrunners couldn’t capitalize on their early third-period power play, and the Firebirds played with desperation when the game returned to even strength. Needing a goal to get within striking distance, Coachella Valley peppered Ingram, but the Tucson netminder continued his strong play between the pipes and denied five shots in quick succession.
The Firebirds drew a penalty during their relentless push and went on the man advantage for the third time of the night. But, Tucson’s penalty kill stifled the Coachella Valley power play, allowing just one shot, and the Roadrunners escaped unscathed with nine minutes remaining.
Another Tucson penalty gave the Firebirds another opportunity to cut their deficit, but Ingram closed the door on Coachella Valley’s comeback attempt. He made a couple of big stops on the penalty kill, including a kick save on Morrison’s wrist shot near the slot and securing Brouillard’s rebound attempt.
In a last-ditch effort, Coachella Valley pulled goaltender Ales Stezka for an extra skater, but Egor Sokolov sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 1:49, to secure the 4-1 victory.
The Roadrunners continue the Southern California portion of their road trip this weekend with a two-game set against the San Diego Gulls at Pechanga Arena. The series kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. MST and will be streamed live on AHLTV on FloHockey.
