Game #6: Tucson Roadrunners (3) vs. Bakersfield Condors (2) OT
Game #6: Tucson Roadrunners (3) vs Bakersfield Condors (2) OT
SOG: TUC (32) – BAK (26)
PP: TUC (1/6) – BAK (2/4)
BAKERSFIELD SCORING: Noah Philp (2), Cameron Wright (1),
TUCSON SCORING: Cameron Hebig (2), Egor Sokolov (4,5)
SOKOLOV’S TWO GOALS LIFT ROADRUNNERS OVER BAKERSFIELD 3-2 IN OT
Tucson, AZ – Egor Sokolov scored twice, including the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Tucson Roadrunners over the Bakersfield Condors 3-2 on Saturday at Tucson Arena. With the victory, Tucson (3-3-0-0) claimed its first sweep of the season in its first overtime game of the year, to get back to a .500 record.
The Condors (2-1-2-1) jumped out to an early lead, but Cameron Hebig and Sokolov scored back-to-back goals late in the first period to put the Roadrunners ahead 2-1 after the first. Tucson’s lead held until Bakersfield forward Cameron Wright tied the game 7:33 into the third period. As was the case in Friday’s game, the Roadrunners shrugged off Bakersfield’s comeback, and Sokolov scored the game-winner for the second straight night. Goalie Jaxson Stauber collected his second win of the season after making 24 saves.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
For the second consecutive night, Sokolov scored two goals, including the game-winner. After tallying his fourth goal in two nights, Sokolov has a team-high five goals and eight points. He also extended his point streak to six games. Sokolov has notched a point in every game this season and has an 11-game points streak going back to last season. The 6-foot-3 winger has 17 points in his last 18 games played from eight goals and nine assists.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
After not dressing in game one of the series, Hebig scored the game-tying goal in the first period. It was the Saskatoon native’s second goal in three games. Drew earned an assist on the play to extend his four-game point streak, which gives him six points from four goals and two assists in four games played this season. Dating back to last season, Drew has 15 points in his last 15 games from nine goals and six assists. Tucson forward Curtis Douglas also had an assist on the play for his first point of the season in his first full game of the year. Defenseman Maksymillian Szuber made his season debut on Saturday after missing the first five games with an injury. Szuber had an assist on Sokolv’s overtime winner for his first point of the season.
THEY SAID IT
“We had to get back to .500. That was the goal, and the boys were able to execute. I’m just happy. Gonna enjoy it tonight and get back to work.”
Roadrunners forward Egor Sokolov on the importance of Tucson getting its first sweep of the season.
THE RUNDOWN
The Roadrunners answered an early Tucson deficit and scored two goals in a 6:41 span at the end of the first period to take a 2-1 lead. Tucson went on its first power play of the night 2:25 into the game from Condors forward James Stefan’s hooking penalty. The Roadrunners couldn’t capitalize on the man advantage but had its first scoring chance of the game right after it expired. Defenseman Montana Onyebuchi flipped the puck toward the net from below the right side of the blue line, and forward Cameron Hebig nearly deflected it past Delia. Both teams were feeling each other out in the early going, with only five total shots in the first 10 minutes. The second half was a different story. Just past the halfway mark of the opening frame, Tucson defenseman Robbie Russo delivered a cross-ice pass to forward Milos Kelemen, who was all alone for a breakaway. Kelemen pulled a quick deke, but Delia blocked his backhand shot. At the end of the shift, Russo went to the box for tripping, giving the Condors its first power play of the night. Bakersfield forward Noah Philp found the back of the net on the man advantage to put the Condors up 1-0 with eight minutes to go in the period. The lead did not last long as Hebig scored 15 seconds later to tie the game 1-1. Forward Curtis Douglas skated around the net on a wrap-around attempt, and Hebig crashed the crease to put home the rebound. With 1:30 remaining, Bakersfield forward Alex Kannok-Leipert’s cross-checking penalty gave Tucson its second power play of the night. The Roadrunners won the faceoff and made a couple of passes around the Condors zone before Russo fired a pass above the right face-off circle across the slot to Sokolov. The Russian winger buried a one-timer past Delia to give the Roadrunners a 2-1 lead with 1:02 remaining. Tucson continued to put on the pressure, and forwards Ryan McGregor and Ben McCartney nearly scored on a two-on-one with nine seconds left.
The second period started off chippy and the game was briefly delayed three minutes in after post-whistle words and shoves were exchanged by both squad’s entire line. Tucson defenseman Patrik Koch was given an unsportsmanlike penalty and two Condors players went to the box for high sticking, giving the Roadrunners its third power play of the night. Agozzino fired a hard wrist shot from the left circle off the post 35 seconds into the man advantage. Tucson had more close chances and five shots on goal before the Condors killed the penalty. Midway through the period, Stauber made a key save on Bakersfield forward Matthew Savoie’s breakaway to preserve the Roadrunner’s one-goal lead. Stauber made another clutch stop three minutes later when he denied Condors forward Carl Berglund’s breakaway with seven minutes left in the middle frame. With five minutes to play, McCartney’s delay of game penalty gave Bakersfield its second power play of the game. Tucson killed the penalty, only allowing one shot on goal. A few seconds after the succesful kill, Condors forward Alex Kannok-Leipert’s slashing penalty gave the Roadrunners its fourth man advantage of the night with 2:49 left. Tucson’s best chance came from Russo’s point shot, which was kicked wide by Delia. The Roadrunners outshot Bakersfield 12-9 in the period.
Ahead 2-1, the Roadrunners led after two periods for the fourth consecutive game. Tucson nearly padded its lead four minutes in from captain Austin Poganski and Drew’s two-on-one. Poganski entered the zone and dished a pass above the crease to Drew, but his snapshot shot was denied by Delia. Drew was penalized for slashing on his next shift, and Bakersfield forward Cameron Wright scored on the power play to tie the game seven and a half minutes into the period. Halfway through the period, the Roadrunners had a 5-on-3 power play for 45 seconds following consecutive slashing penalties from Bakersfield forwards Drake Caggiula and Jayden Grubbs. Agozzino fired two dangerous shots on goal before Caggiula’s penalty expired. Tucson forward Aku Raty’s slashing penalty ended the second penalty, but the Roadrunners stifled Bakersfield’s power and didn’t concede a shot. Tucson outshot Bakersfield 10-7 in the period, and the third ended in a 2-2 draw.
Sokolov scored 1:41 into overtime to give the Roadrunners a 3-2 victory. Both teams played it safe through the opening minute of the 3-on-3 extra time. Szuber back-pedaled from center ice to the Roadrunner’s blue line, allowing his linemates to regroup. He fired a pass to a hard-charging Sokolov, who walked the puck into the Bakersfield zone. Condors defenseman Cam Dineen gave him too much time and space, and Sokolov fired a wrist shot from above the slot. The puck found space between Delia’s five-hole, rolled into the back of the net, and Tucson Arena erupted from the dramatic game-winning shot.
The Roadrunners will head north of the border for its first mid-week series of the season, taking on the Abbotsford Canucks on Tuesday and Wednesday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. MST for both games and is available to stream on AHLTV on FLO HOCKEY.
