GAME #63 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS at San Diego Gulls

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Game #63: Tucson Roadrunners (30-27-3-2) at San Diego Gulls (25-29-5-3)

Time: 7 p.m. MST, Pechanga Arena, San Diego, CA

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WATCH LIVE HERE 

Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE

Referees: #24 Jack Young, #96 Scott Allan

Linespeople: #37 Brett Martin, #42 Luke Pye

Supervisor: Jay Sharrers

The Tucson Roadrunners (30-27-3-2) hit the road for the fourth stop of their five-game trip Friday, facing off against the San Diego Gulls (25-29-5-3) at Pechanga Arena. The puck drops at 7 p.m. MST as the two Pacific Division foes meet for the eighth and final time this regular season.

Both teams enter Friday’s contest looking to build on statement wins from Wednesday. The Roadrunners blanked the Ontario Reign 3-0 for their first victory of the road trip, snapping a two-game skid. Meanwhile, the Gulls kicked off a four-game homestand with a 4-3 overtime win against the San Jose Barracuda, securing their second victory in three games.

Tucson has controlled the season series with a 5-2 record, including two wins in three games at Pechanga Arena. The teams last met in San Diego in early January, splitting a two-game set—the Gulls claimed a 3-2 win on Jan. 10 before Tucson responded with a 4-2 victory the following night.

With just 10 games remaining in the regular season, Friday’s matchup is critical for both clubs in the Pacific Division playoff race. Tucson holds the seventh and final postseason spot with 65 points, three ahead of the Bakersfield Condors. San Diego sits in ninth with 58 points and will be looking to close the gap on the two teams ahead of them.

Three Things:

  • Villalta’s Milestone Night
    In his 200th AHL appearance, Roadrunners goaltender Matthew Villalta delivered a statement performance, stopping all 24 shots he faced in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Ontario. It was a strong response after allowing six goals in his previous outing against the Colorado Eagles, and marked his third win in his last four starts. Villalta has been particularly strong against San Diego this season, posting a 3-2 record with two shutouts and a season-high 42-save effort on Jan. 10. With four shutouts on the year, he’s just one away from tying the franchise single-season record set by former Roadrunner and current Vegas Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill (five in 2017-18). The 25-year-old Ontario native now has nine career shutouts, seven of which have come with Tucson—ranking second in team history behind Hill (10). He’s also closing in on the franchise’s all-time wins leaderboard, sitting at 48 victories, just six shy of Ivan Prosvetov (54) for second place.

  • Stepping Up Without Yamamoto
    With points leader Kailer Yamamoto recalled to the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday, Tucson needed a full-team effort to secure the win over Ontario—and they got it. Alternate captain Andrew Agozzino stepped up with a goal and an assist, marking his sixth multi-point game of the season. Defenseman Max Szuber also notched two assists for his second multi-point performance in his last five games. Szuber has been a key playmaker lately, tallying six assists in his last five games and eight points (1G, 7A) over his last seven. Montana Onyebuchi netted his first game-winner of the season and second of his career, while fellow alternate captain Travis Barron buried his first goal since Feb. 16. Ben McCartney added an assist, continuing his hot streak with six points (3G, 3A) in his last five games, ranking second on the team in March scoring with 10 points (5G, 5A) in 11 games—trailing only Agozzino’s 12 (7G, 5A). Forward Sammy Walker also had an assist, his fourth point (2G, 2A) in the last five games. 

  • Penalty Kill Excellence
    While the Roadrunners have gone 1-2 on their road trip so far, their penalty kill has been stellar. Tucson has shut down 11 of 12 opponent power plays over the last three games, including a perfect 6-for-6 effort against Ontario on Wednesday. The Roadrunners have now killed 10 consecutive penalties and boast a season-long penalty kill success rate of 81.43%, a significant edge over San Diego’s 75.37%. Tucson also holds the edge on the power play, converting at 19.5% compared to the Gulls’ 18% success rate. If the Roadrunners can continue their special teams dominance, it could be a difference-maker in Friday’s divisional showdown.

Number to Know:

280 – Cameron Hebig is set to make history on Friday, skating in his 280th game as a Tucson Roadrunner to become the franchise’s all-time leader in games played. On Wednesday, Hebig tied former Roadrunner and current Henderson defenseman Dysin Mayo for the top spot at 279. The milestone comes during a career-best season for the veteran forward, who leads the team with a career-high 21 goals and has already set another personal best with 40 points. He also recorded his 19th assist of the season against Ontario, putting him just one away from matching his career high for assists in a single campaign.

Latest Transactions:

  • On Wednesday, Mar. 26, forward Kailer Yamamoto was recalled by the Utah Hockey Club (NHL) from the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL)
  • On Friday, Mar. 28, Goaltender Matthew Villalta was recalled by the Utah Hockey Club (NHL) from the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL)
  • On Friday, Mar. 28, Goaltender Jaxson Stauber was reassigned by the Utah Hockey Club (NHL) to the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL)

We’re Doing It Live

Friday’s game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. MST with Roadrunners Warm-Up, hosted by “Voice of the Roadrunners” Jonathon Schaffer, who has all of the action from Pechanga Arena. Fans can catch all the action on AHLtv now on Flo Hockey.