Game #23: Tucson Roadrunners (2) vs San Diego Gulls (0)
Game #23: Tucson Roadrunners (2) vs San Diego Gulls (0)
SOG: TUC (24) – SD (17)
PP: TUC (0/1) – SD (0/3)
SAN DIEGO SCORING:
TUCSON SCORING: Sam Lipkin (7), Austin Poganski (4)
Villalta’s Back-to-Back Shutouts Propel Roadrunners to Third Straight Win, 2-0 Over Gulls
TUCSON, AZ – Tucson Roadrunners goaltender Matthew Villalta recorded 17 saves to secure his second consecutive shutout in a 2-0 win over the San Diego Gulls (6-18-0-0) on Monday night at Tucson Arena. The victory, Tucson’s third in a row, snapped San Diego’s five-game point streak and lifted the Roadrunners (13-10-0-0) into sixth place in the Pacific Division standings.
Rookie forward Sam Lipkin opened the scoring with his seventh goal of the season early in the first period, giving Tucson a 1-0 lead. Captain Austin Poganski added an insurance goal in the opening minute of the third period to seal the Roadrunners’ victory.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Villalta earned his third shutout of the season Monday, stopping all 17 shots he faced from the San Diego Gulls. While the shot total was modest by his standards, the 25-year-old goaltender came up big when it mattered most, making several highlight-reel saves, including back-to-back stops on the penalty kill in the second period.
The win marked Villalta’s third straight victory and his sixth consecutive start, both season highs. Impressively, all three of his shutouts have come during this stretch, with two of them against San Diego. Villalta has now recorded 50 consecutive saves across back-to-back shutouts and has stopped 76 of the last 78 shots he’s faced.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Lipkin’s early goal proved to be all the Roadrunners needed, thanks to Villalta’s stellar play in net and strong defensive zone coverage. Lipkin’s tally, his seventh of the season, came on just his 22nd shot of the year.
The rookie forward now leads all AHL rookies in shooting percentage at 31.8%, surpassing San Jose Barracuda’s Lucas Vanroboys, who sits at 28.6%. Lipkin’s efficiency continues to make him a key contributor to Tucson’s offense.
THEY SAID IT
“I think it’s the boys in front of me. They’ve been playing great. In the d-zone, we’ve had good structure and have kept most of the shots to the outside. Special teams has been great, especially our PKs. All the credit goes to the boys. I just try to get hit with the puck. “
Roadrunners goalie Matthew Villalta on his second-straight shutout.
THE RUNDOWN
First Period
The opening four minutes were a defensive battle, with the Roadrunners registering the only shot on goal until the Gulls created the game’s first scoring opportunity. Villalta denied Noah Warren’s net-front one-timer, and the Roadrunners quickly turned defense into offense. Roadrunners forward Ben McCartney collected an outlet pass and fed the puck to forward Aku Räty at center ice. Räty entered the offensive zone and delivered a cross-slot pass to Lipkin, who beat goaltender Oskar Dansk glove-side to give Tucson a 1-0 lead at 4:49.
Less than five minutes later, Räty and Lipkin nearly connected for a second goal. On a two-on-one rush, Lipkin set up Räty for a one-timer, but the shot was deflected wide.
Tucson controlled much of the action in the period, though the Gulls had a quality chance with seven minutes remaining. Villalta came up big again, stopping Judd Caulfield’s one-timed blast.
The game’s physicality ramped up shortly after when Tucson’s Andrew Agozzino and San Diego’s Yegor Sidorov were sent off for roughing with six minutes left. During the ensuing four-on-four play, Roadrunners forward Kailer Yamamoto capitalized on a Gulls turnover near their blue line, firing a quick shot on net.
San Diego earned its first power play with just over two minutes remaining after a Tucson interference penalty. Villalta stayed sharp, stopping both shots he faced on the penalty kill, and the Roadrunners carried its 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Second Period
Two minutes into the second period, San Diego was called for too many men, giving Tucson its first power play. Forward Josh Doan came close to doubling the lead, ripping a shot from the hash marks that clanged off the crossbar.
After killing the penalty, the Gulls built momentum and created several high-danger chances. Villalta stood tall, making key saves on Jan Myšák and Roman Kinal six-and-a-half minutes into the period. Later, on a penalty kill following a boarding call against Tucson, Villalta delivered back-to-back clutch saves on slot shots from Sasha Pastujov and Rolan McKeown to keep the Gulls off the scoreboard.
Tucson’s defense contributed physically as well, with Robbie Russo delivering a huge hit on Nico Myatović outside the trapezoid. The Roadrunners’ defensive structure stifled San Diego for much of the period, limiting the Gulls to just three shots on goal.
Third Period
The Roadrunners wasted no time extending its lead, scoring just 48 seconds into the final frame. Yamamoto found Poganski with a pass from behind the net, and Poganski fired a one-timer past Dansk for his second goal in as many games, making it 2-0.
Villalta delivered again two minutes later, stopping a dangerous chance from Gulls forward Coulson Pitre. Tucson’s defense continued to frustrate San Diego, limiting them to seven shots in the period by blocking attempts and clearing rebounds.
The Roadrunners kept pressing offensively. Rookie defenseman Artem Duda generated a pair of chances from the point early in the period, and midway through, Yamamoto nearly set up a third goal. On a two-on-one rush with defenseman Kevin Connauton, Yamamoto flipped a pass to Connauton, but the puck skipped over his stick.
In the final three minutes, San Diego pulled Dansk for an extra attacker but managed only two shots. Tucson, meanwhile, nearly added to its lead. In the final minute, Yamamoto intercepted a pass, carried the puck across the ice, and fired a shot off the post. The Roadrunners’ strong defense secured the 2-0 win, earning Villalta his second shutout of the season.
The Roadrunners will wrap up its four-game homestand and two-game series against the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday at Tucson Arena. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. MST. Tickets can be purchased using the link here. The game will be available to stream on AHLTV on FLO HOCKEY.
