Game #55: Tucson Roadrunners (2) vs Coachella Valley Firebirds (7)
Game #55: Tucson Roadrunners vs Coachella Valley Firebirds
SOG: TUC (39) – CV (30)
PP: TUC (0/3) – CV (0/2)
COACHELLA VALLEY SCORING: Kole Lind (12), Cameron Hughes (17), John Hayden (11, 12), Marian Studenic (13), Max McCormick (26), Ryan Winterton (19)
TUCSON SCORING: Cameron Crotty (2), Curtis Douglas (4)
Call him Steph Crotty the way he’s sinking shots from deep! Or, pucks from deep would be the correct way to say that. Roadrunners defenseman Cam Crotty scored his second goal of the season from nearly the blue line in Saturday night’s contest against Coachella Valley. Crotty is in his fourth season with the Roadrunners and has played 203 games in the AHL.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
WELCOME TO THE NATIONAL – In his first game back with Tucson, after being the first Roadrunners skater to make his NHL debut this season, Patrik Koch had a season-high six shots on goal and became the fifth Tucson skater to record at least six shots on goal in a game this year. It was the second time in the last six games that Koch has recorded five shots on goal in a game. With his NHL debut Thursday against Minnesota, Saturday marked the fourth pro hockey game that he’s appeared in over the last five days after playing for Tucson Tuesday and Wednesday against Calgary. He led Arizona defensemen with four hits in that first NHL game and also rocketed a shot on goal. Koch, 27, was signed by the Coyotes this past offseason after playing the first eight seasons of his professional career in Czech and Slovak leagues.
LOOK AT THIS
Curtis Douglas and Cameron Hebig celebrate with teammates after Curtis Douglas scored a second period goal for the Roadrunners. It was Douglas’ fourth of the season and Cameron Hebig’s 13th assist of the season. Both Douglas and Hebig had two points in Saturday night’s matchup against Coachella Valley. The two combined for four points in the game and 7 shots on goal.
THEY SAID IT
“It’s about the team and we have to learn from our mistakes. We have to get it together and get back to winning like we were. We are going to do what we can on Tuesday,”
Patrik Koch following Tucson’s 7-2 loss on Saturday night. Koch led the team with six shots.
THE RUNDOWN
Coachella Valley defeated Tucson 7-2 on Saturday night but the score may be misleading as the Firebirds added four goals in the third period to extend their lead from the 3-2 count that starte the frame.
In the first six minutes of play, Coachella Valley added two goals to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. It was Cam Crotty who would find the back of the net for Tucson and cut the Coachella Valley lead in half at the 13:26 mark. Crotty was assisted by Curtis Douglas and Cameron Hebig.
The second period would be scoreless for the first 10:41 before Coachella Valley would extend their lead to 3-1. Just 17 seconds later however, Curtis Douglas would answer for the Roadrunners and score his fourth goal of the year and second point of the night. Douglas was assisted by Cameron Hebig who picked up his second assist of the night on the play. The game would go into the second intermission in a 3-2 Coachella Valley lead.
The final frame would be all Coachella Valley as the Firebirds scored four goals in the frame to win 7-2. Tucson outshot Coachella Valley 39-30 in the contest and outshot them in each individual period. Tucson looks to bounce back on Tuesday and Wednesday March 12th-13th against the Henderson Silver Knights at the Tucson Arena
