GAME #27 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS vs COLORADO EAGLES

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Game #27: Tucson Roadrunners (16-10-0-0) vs Colorado Eagles (14-8-1-2)

Time: 7:00 p.m. MST, Tucson Arena, Tucson, AZ

LISTEN LIVE HERE

WATCH LIVE HERE 

Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE

Referees: #3 Jake Kamrass, #24 Jack Young

Linespeople: #48 Jake Herzog, #76 Gabe Lomen

The Tucson Roadrunners host the Colorado Eagles for a two-game weekend series, beginning Saturday at 7 p.m. MST at Tucson Arena. Riding a season-high six-game winning streak, the Roadrunners look to become just the fifth AHL team this season to notch seven consecutive victories.

The teams split their only previous series during the season’s opening weekend. Both enter the matchup with momentum on their side following series sweeps last weekend. Tucson claimed back-to-back 4-2 road wins against the Abbotsford Canucks on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, while Colorado defeated the San Diego Gulls at home, 5-1 and 5-3, on the same dates.

Separated by just one point in the standings, the Roadrunners sit fourth in the Pacific Division with 32 points, while the Eagles are close behind in sixth with 31. Both teams remain within striking distance of the second-place San Jose Barracuda, which holds a slim lead with 34 points.

Three things:

  • Before the Christmas break, Roadrunners forward Hunter Drew delivered a standout performance against Abbotsford, scoring three goals across the series. He scored twice on Dec. 20, including the game-winner, and netted the equalizer in the third period of the following game to secure Tucson’s second straight comeback victory. The trio of clutch goals brought Drew’s season total to nine, tying him with Andrew Agozzino for second on the team. Beyond climbing Tucson’s scoring leaderboard, the 6-foot-2, 213-pound power forward is nearing a career milestone, now sitting at 98 AHL points with 49 goals and 49 assists—just two shy of the 100-point mark.

  • Forward Cameron Hebig showcased his scoring touch in both games against Abbotsford, netting a third-period goal in each contest. He delivered the game-tying goal in the opener and sealed game two with an empty-netter. Hebig also assisted on captain Austin Poganski’s game-winning goal last Saturday, marking his second multi-point outing of the season. The forward now owns Tucson’s longest active point streak at four games, with two goals and three assists for five points during that span.

  • Forward Kailer Yamamoto became the third Roadrunner to tally three points in the Abbotsford series, contributing a trio of assists, including two in the finale. One of those assists set up Josh Doan’s first-period power-play goal, giving Yamamoto his fifth power-play point of the season, tied for fifth-most on the team. The performance also marked Yamamoto’s fifth multi-point game of the year, trailing only Egor Sokolov, who leads Tucson with six. Yamamoto has been a consistent contributor recently, recording five points in his last five games with one goal and four assists.

What’s the word?

“The fun part is we were seventh in the division and almost got all the way up to within second place in about a week. It shows that there’s no margin for error in this division, because every team’s getting hot right now, especially Colorado.”

Roadrunners defenseman Montana Onyebuchi on the winning streak and division standings.

Number to Know:

6 – The Roadrunners dominated the Canucks in the third period of both games, outscoring them 6-1 with three unanswered goals in each contest. Tucson has excelled in the final frame all season, tallying 36 third-period goals—more than in any other period. That total ranks third in the AHL as of Friday, trailing only the Calgary Wranglers and Charlotte Checkers, who each have 39.

Latest Transactions:

  • On Saturday, Dec. 21, the Tucson Roadrunners released defenseman Hudson Wilson from his PTO.

We’re Doing It Live
Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on KXEW/Tejano 1600 and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with Roadrunners Warm-Up, hosted by “Voice of the Roadrunners” Jonathon Schaffer, who has all of the action from Tucson Arena. The game can also be seen on AHLtv now on Flo Hockey and tickets can be purchased using the link here.