Game #5: Tucson Roadrunners (5) vs. Bakersfield Condors (3)
Game #4: Tucson Roadrunners (5) at Texas Stars (3)
SOG: TUC (40) – BAK (42)
PP: TUC (0/3) – TX (0/2)
BAKERSFIELD SCORING: Drake Caggiula (2), Ben Gleason (1), Seth Griffith (3)
TUCSON SCORING: Andrew Agozzino (3), Hunter Drew (3,4), Egor Sokolov (2,3)
ROADRUNNERS DEFEAT CONDORS 5-3 FOR FIRST HOME WIN OF THE SEASON
Tucson, AZ – The Tucson Roadrunners ended its two-game losing streak with 5-3 victory over the Bakersfield Condors on Friday to claim the team’s first home win of the season at Tucson Arena. Forwards Hunter Drew and Egor Sokolov scored two goals, and center Andrew Agozzino tallied a goal. Agozzino opened the scoring when he found the back of the net 26 seconds into the game. It was the fastest Roadrunners goal to start a game this season, laying the foundation for more offensive milestones. Tucson’s five goals and 40 shots were also team highs for the season.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Roadrunners fans were nervous after witnessing Tucson concede a two-goal lead for the third consecutive game. The Texas Stars climbed back with a trio of unanswered third-period goals in both games last weekend to sweep the Roadrunners. On Friday, Bakersfield trailed Tucson 3-1 in the third, before scoring two goals in a 29-second span to tie the game 3-3. This time, the Roadrunners immediately responded to the all-too-familiar adversity. Sokolov scored his second goal of the season 56 seconds later to put Tucson back out front. Assistant captain Ben McCartney carried entered the Bakersfield zone, skated toward the slot, and dished a backhand pass to Sokolov above the right face-off circle. Two Condors defensemen collapsed on him and knocked the puck loose. Sokolov outmuscled both defenders and tracked down the puck in front of the net past goalie Oliver Rodrigue.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Drew’s hot start to the season and Agozzino and Sokolov’s point streaks were major storylines coming into the game. The trio’s performance against Bakersfield ensured both narratives will carry over to Saturday’s game. Agozzino and Sokolov both extended their point streaks to five games. Agozzino now has three goals in his last four games and five points on the season. Drew’s two goals against the Condors gives him five points on the season to tie Agozino for the second-highest on the team. Drew scored a goal in both games against Texas last weekend and now has four goals in his first three games to start the year. Sokolov leads the team with six points after collecting a pair of goals on Friday. It was his first multi-point game of the season.
THEY SAID IT
“We need to wake up tomorrow with the same mindset and attack the day.”
Roadrunners forward Hunter Drew on what it will take to sweep Bakersfield on Saturday.
THE RUNDOWN
It was an exciting opening 20 minutes of action with two Roadrunners goals and two fights. Tucson started and finished the period strong, with goals in the first and last minute. Agozzino opened the scoring 26 seconds into the game when he won a puck battle in front of the net and backhanded a loose rebound past sprawling Condors goalie Oliver Rodrigue. It was Agozzino’s third goal of the season. Trailing Tucson 1-0, Bakersfield responded and put the pressure on Tucson. It’s best scoring chance came six and a half minutes into the period, but Villalta stopped a series of shots as he fell backward onto the ice from his butterfly position. Villalta kept his pads in front of the puck and eventually secured it between his legs for the whistle. Midway through the period, a Roadrunners penalty gave the Condors its first man advantage of the game. Tucson’s penalty kill stifled Bakersfield’s power play and only allowed two shots. With just over six minutes remaining, the first period intensity boiled over when Hunter Drew and Condors forward Alex Kannok-Leipert fought. It was an even bout as both players tumbled to the ice in exhaustion. Four seconds later on the ensuing faceoff, Tucson forward Curtis Douglas fought Bakersfield defenseman Josh Brown. It was Douglas’ first game and fight of the season. The 6-foot-9, 242-pound winger had a team-high 10 fights last year. Drew scored his third goal in three games with seven seconds left in the period to put the Roadrunners ahead 2-0 at the intermission despite being outshot by the Condors 13-10.
Both teams settled into the pace of the game in the middle frame after a goal and fight-filled first period. Bakersfield scored a short-handed goal on a breakaway to cut the Roadrunners lead to 2-1 after two periods. Tucson had its first man advantage of the night just over two minutes into the second from Bakersfield forward Noah Phillips’ holding penalty. As the penalty expired, the Condors had a numbers advantage in the Tucson zone and a quality scoring opportunity. Bakersfield forward Matthew Savoie ripped a one-timer from the slot but Villalta slid across his crease in time to make a huge glove-save. Outside of this play, the Roadrunners controlled the opening half of the middle frame, outshooting Bakersfield 10-4 through the first 10 minutes. Just over 13 minutes in, Tucson defenseman Patrik Koch exchanged post-whistle shoves with Bakersfield and Roadrunners forward Milos Kelemen was penalized for a retaliatory slashing penalty. The Condors’ second power play of the game was cut short after 90 seconds when Agozzino antagonized Bakersfield center Lane Pederson, who was sent to the box for slashing. Bakersfield scored down a man on Tucson’s ensuing man advantage to make it a 2-1 game. Condors forward Drake Caggiula received a neutral zone pass with no defenders infront of him, and beat Villalta with his deke and backhand shot. For the second consecutive period, the team with the lower shot total found the back of the net. Tucson outshot Bakersfield 20-12 in the middle frame, which is a Roadrunners season high.
With a one-goal deficit, Bakersfield played desperate and outshot Tucson 5-2 through the first three minutes of the third period. Kannok-Leipert’s cross-checking penalty at 3:23 gave the Roadrunners its third power play of the night. Tucson only fired one shot on goal on the man advantage and Bakersfield killed the penalty. The Roadrunners continued to generate offense and nearly extended its lead just past the halfway mark of the period. Captain Austin Poganski rifled a one-timed shot from a Kelemen pass from below the right circle, but the just went just high of the net. The scoring was a sign of what was to come as Drew sniped a wrist shot above the slot past Rodrigue for his second goal of the game to put Tucson ahead 3-1. The two-goal lead did not hold for long as Condors defenseman Ben Gleason scored a minute and a half later to cut the deficit to 3-2. Bakersfield forward Seth Griffith added another goal 29 seconds later to tie game 3-3 with 5:04 remaining. Unlike its previous two contests, the Roadrunners refuse shook of Bakersfield comeback and responded with a pair of late goals to win the game 5-3. Sokolov scored less than a minute later put the Roadrunners back outfront. The Russian added his second score of the night with an empty-net goal with 1:23 left to put the game on ice.
The Roadrunners look to complete the sweep against the Condors and get back to .500 on the season on Saturday at 7 p.m. MST. Tickets can be purchased using the link here.
