Game #2: Tucson Roadrunners at Texas Stars
Game #2: Tucson Roadrunners (1-0-0) at Texas Stars (0-1-0)
Time: 5:00 p.m. MST, H.E.B. Center, Cedar Park, Texas
LISTEN LIVE HERE
WATCH LIVE HERE (AHLtv Freeview)
Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE
Referees: #91 Graedy Hamilton, #15 Mike Dietrich
Linespersons: #85 Jeremy Faucher, #8 Aaron Schacht
The Roadrunners began the season Friday with their sixth-straight opening night win in a 3-2 result over the Stars in game number one of the series. Tucson will now look to start the season with a win streak and a sweep of the Stars while Texas now looks to even out the series and avoid a losing streak to start 2023-2024; a night after hanging their Central Division Championship banner from last season.
Three things:
- Milos Keleman scored the game-winning goal for Tucson’s 3-2 victory over the Stars. It’s his second season with an opening night goal, as he scored the first goal of the season against Henderson last year in a 2-1 win. Kelemen is the highest active scoring player remaining from Tucson’s roster in 2022-2023 with 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 59 games and he also played in 14 games with the Coyotes.
- The Roadrunners went shorthanded three times in the first period of Friday’s game, but outshot Texas by a margin of 23-14 over the final two periods going shorthanded just twice in the second and staying out of the penalty box in the third as they broke a 2-2 tie for the 3-2 win. Jan Jenik and John Leonard led Tucson with five shots each and the Roadrunners cashed in on one of their three power-plays.
- Tucson has started 1-0 for the sixth-straight season dating back to 2018 and look to be 2-0 for the third time in six years. The last time the Roadrunners started the year 2-0 was in 2021 when the season opened on February 7 and 8 with a sweep of the San Jose Barracuda as they outscored them 7-4. Jan Jenik had a goal and an assist in game two of that series for his first professional points.
What did they say?
“It’s pretty great, I like it so far, it was great winning with the boys and its just fun to be here…we knew they were going to be a good team and it was just great to get the win”
Forward Aku Raty on getting the win in his North American hockey debut after spending four years playing in Europe.
Number to Know:
19- The number of multiple-point games Jan Jenik has in his AHL career. The now fourth-year-pro had himself a season opener, scoring the first goal of the season less than five minutes into the game with a shortside goal and added an assist on Josh Doan’s power-play goal in the second period as Tucson took a 2-1 lead. Jenik has been a force when in a Roadrunners uniform; in 111 total games played with Tucson he has 86 points (31 goals, 55 assists).
AND WE’RE LIVE!
Tonight’s game will be broadcast live on the radio on FOX Sports 1450AM in Tucson and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 4:45 with Roadrunners Warm-Up hosted by Jonathon Schaffer, before “Voice of the Roadrunners” Adrian Denny has all of the action from the H.E.B Center as the AHLtv Freeview continues. Setup an account at AHLtv.com and watch all of tonight’s AHL action for free.
