Game #11: Tucson Roadrunners (1) @ Ontario Reign (4)
Game #11: Tucson Roadrunners (1) at Ontario Reign (4)
SOG: TUC (24) – ONT (29)
PP: TUC (0/3) – ONT (1/4)
ONTARIO SCORING: Francesco Pinelli (2), Glenn Gawdin (3,4), Reilly Walsh (2)
TUCSON SCORING: Hunter Drew (5)
HUNTER DREW CONTINUES HOT STREAK IN ROADRUNNERS 4-1 LOSS TO ONTARIO
Ontario, CA – The Tucson Roadrunners (5-6-0-0) dropped its second game in a row after falling 4-1 to the Ontario Reign (5-6-0-0) on Wednesday at Toyota Arena. Tucson forward Hunter Drew scored his fifth goal in six games, and goalie Jaxson Stauber stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced. Drew’s first-period goal on the breakaway tied the game 1-1, but Ontario’s structured system suppressed the Roadrunners offense for most of the night. The Reign scored early in the second and third periods to build a two-goal lead before adding a late empty netter. Both teams are now tied in the Pacific Division with 10 points, but the Roadrunners fall back to eighth place behind Ontario after the head-to-head loss.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Drew scored his fifth goal of the year on the breakaway midway through the first period. He ranks second on the team in goals and third in points with seven despite playing just six games. He has been over a point-per-game player since the end of last season, with 16 points in the last 15 regular season games. The seven-year pro also scored in Game Two of the Calder Cup playoffs against the Calgary Wranglers.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
With 17 seconds left in the game, Roadrunners defenseman Montana Onyebuchi had an even fight against Ontario forward Jacob Doty. It was their third scrap in a year after dropping the gloves twice last season on Nov. 8 and Nov. 28, 2023. Doty also went toe-to-toe with Tucson forward Curtis Douglas last year on Mar. 20, 2024. It was Onyebuchi’s second fight of the season and he leads the AHL in penalty minutes with 44.
THEY SAID IT
“Obviously it feels good to score, but it’s more important to win games. I was a minus tonight, and I didn’t do enough to help us win. So that’s the frustrating part.”
Roadrunners forward Hunter Drew on his performance against the Ontario Reign.
THE RUNDOWN
First Period
Both teams registered just one shot through the first five minutes, but Roadrunners forward Ben McCartney had a great early scoring opportunity on a two-on-one with forward Andrew Agozzino. McCartney’s deke beat Reign goalie Erik Portillo, but his backhand shot sailed high. Ontario struck first minutes later from forward Francesco Pinelli’s goal at 5:29, but the Reign’s 1-0 lead did not last for long. Two minutes later, Drew blocked Ontario defenseman Jakob Dvorak’s pass in the neutral zone and raced away on a breakaway. Drew took advantage of having ample time and space and ripped a shot past Portillo top-shelf to tie the game 1-1 at 7:55. In the final minutes of the opening frame, Roadrunners defenseman Patrik Koch and Reign forward Kaleb Lawrence received off-setting roughing minors after exchanging post-whistle shoves. During four-on-four play, Pinelli tripped Tucson captain Austin Poganski to give the Roadrunners a four-on-three man advantage. Forwards Josh Doan, Egor Sokolov, and Agozzino generated a couple of quality scoring chances, but the game remained even at 1-1 after the first. Shots were also equal, with eight shots apiece.
Second Period
Ontario put one on the board early in the second period to regain the lead. Four minutes in, forward Glenn Gawdin’s one-timer from the left circle snuck through Stauber’s five-hole. Nearly two minutes later, Ontario had its first power play of the night from a Roadrunners tripping penalty. After the whistle, Tucson defenseman Maksymillian Szuber and Pinelli headed to the box for the second pair of coincidental roughing minors of the night. The Roadrunners didn’t allow a shot on goal and killed the penalty to keep it a one-goal game. Despite the unsuccessful power play, the Reign controlled play through the first 15 minutes of the middle frame and outshot Tucson 10-2 in that span. Drew’s line alongside Douglas and McCartney gave Tucson a spark in the final two minutes and created the team’s two best scoring chances of the period. Douglas nearly deflected home Drew’s shot and had several whacks at the rebound in front of the net. Seconds later, Drew had a great look from below the left circle, but Portillo made the save. Ontario responded in the final minute and nearly extended its lead from a dangerous sequence down low in front of the net, but Stauber made three consecutive saves to keep it a 2-1 game. The Reign ended the period with a 13-7 shot advantage and a power play to start the third after a late Tucson hooking penalty.
Third Period
The Roadrunners opened the final frame shorthanded, and Ontario defenseman Reilly Walsh scored on the power play 28 seconds into the period to put the Reign up 3-1. Stauber instantly responded, denying Ontario forward Charles Hudon’s breakaway on the next shift to keep Tucson in the game. The ice was tilted in the Reign’s favor in the early going, and it took Tucson nearly seven minutes to get a shot on goal. But forward Egor Sokolov’s shot woke up the Roadrunner’s offense, and the team controlled play for the following couple of shifts and had quality opportunities from Agozzino and defenseman Robbie Russo. However, Tucson’s momentum stopped after an elbowing penalty put the Reign back on the power play near the halfway mark of the period. The Roadrunners killed the penalty and put the pressure back on Ontario. After a pair of shots from defenseman Artem Duda and Agozzino, Lipkin battled one-on-one with Reign defenseman Angus Booth and drew a holding penalty to put Tucson on the power play for the second time with 3:50 remaining. The Roadrunners pulled Stauber for a six-on-four man advantage but Gawdin put one into the empty net to make it 4-1 with 2:16 to go.
The Roadrunners head to Sin City for a two-game slate against the Henderson Silver Knights, starting with Friday’s contest at Lee’s Family Forum. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. MST. The game will be available to stream on AHLTV on FLO HOCKEY.
