Game #21: Tucson Roadrunners (2) vs Colorado Eagles (4)
Game #21: Tucson Roadrunners vs Colorado Eagles
SOG: TUC (19) – COL (27)
PP: TUC (0/5) – COL (0/4)
COLORADO: Brad Hunt (6), Brad Hunt (7), Ondrej Pavel (2)
TUCSON SCORING: Aku Raty (2), Colin Theisen (1)
ROADRUNNERS FALL IN SERIES OPENER 4-2 TO THE COLORADO EAGLES FROM LOVELAND, CO
LOVELAND, CO – The Tucson Roadrunners dropped a Friday night contest to Colorado 4-2 to fall to 12-7-1-1 on the year as their Western Conference leading five-game unbeaten streak ended at 4-0-1-0.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Tucson Roadrunners Forward Colin Theisen scores his first of the year to bring Tucson within one in the third period. Tucson would drop the contest 4-2 after a late Colorado empty-netter.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
THERE’S NOTHING BETTER THAN POINTS – The last time the Tucson Roadrunners were on a five-game point streak was early last season from October 22nd through November 2nd, 2022. The Roadrunners were 5-0-0-0 in that stretch compared to 4-0-1-0 on this year’s early season five-game unbeaten streak. Tonight’s regulation loss was the Roadrunners first game without a point since a November 22nd loss in Calgary.
LOOK AT THIS
Forward Colin Theisen celebrates with teammates after scoring his first goal of the 2023-2024 season for the Roadrunners. Friday night was Theisen’s first game back in the Tucson lineup since November 25.
THEY SAID IT
We’re a deep team, we have a lot of good guys. They’re a good team over there, they have good pace. If we gain more lines tomorrow, we’ll have a better outcome.
Forward Colin Theisen after Friday’s 4-2 loss.
THE RUNDOWN
Period one was a physical back and forth battle between the two sides but neither team would score. The Roadrunners had three power-play opportunities but were unable to convert. The Roadrunners also had a penalty-killing situation that they successfully killed. Goalie Matthew Villalta stopped all 11 Colorado shots on goal he faced in the first twenty minutes.
The 0-0 pitchers duel would be broken up by Colorado at the 3:55 mark in the second period. Tucson looked to respond quickly with some good chances but would be denied. It would be Colorado scoring the second goal of the period to make it 2-0. Just past the halfway point in the period, Aku Raty would find an opening and rip a shot into the back of the net cutting the Colorado lead in half. Raty, who has six points in his last five games, was assisted by Dylan Guenther on the play. Guenther leads all Roadrunners with 18 points in 21 games played. The Roadrunners would head into the final frame trailing 2-1.
The third period would start with Colorado adding to their lead. An even-strength goal at the 2:12 of the third would give the Eagles a 3-1 lead. The Roadrunners would answer the Colorado lead with a Colin Theisen one-timer to light the lamp and bring the Roadrunners back within one. It was Theisen’s first goal of the year in his third game with the Roadrunners this season. Theisen was assisted by Max Szuber who picked up his sixth assist of the year. As the third period rolled along Tucson would pull goalie Matthew Villalta with 2:21 left in the period. Just over a minute later Colorado would gain control of the puck and score an empty-netter to make it 4-2. A tripping minor at the 19:19 mark would put Tucson on the power play and give them a 6-on-4 advantage with the goalie pulled as time expired.
