Game #33: Tucson Roadrunners (4) vs Abbotsford Canucks (0)
Game #32: Tucson Roadrunners vs Abbotsford Canucks
SOG: TUC (36) –ABB (30)
PP: TUC (1/2) – ABB (0/3)
ABBOTSFORD SCORING:
TUCSON SCORING: Ben McCartney (2), Austin Poganski (5), Jan Jenik (9), Justin Kirkland (2)
This Peter Diliberatore pass to Jan Jenik needs to be studied by students of all ages across the world. A BEAUTY. Diliberatore picked up his third assist of the year on the play and Jenik picked up his ninth goal. The third period goal would give the Roadrunners a 3-0 lead, more than enough to hang on to the lead, add another goal and pick up the two-points.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
THE CITY OF ABBOTSFORD FEELS BESIEGED BY MATTHEW VILLALTA – For those of you who do not play scrabble, besiege means to assault or annoy. If you asked any Abbotsford Canucks fan what they think of Tucson Roadrunners goalie Matthew Villalta they might describe him with that word or something resembling French. In three games against Abbotsford this season, the Western Conferences second highest scoring team, Villalta has recorded two shutouts including his 30 save performance on Friday night. With Dylan Wells’ 19 save shutout in Tucson’s last game on Saturday, January 6th; Tucson has now recorded back-to-back shutouts for the second time in team history. It is the first time in team history that different netminders have pitched shutouts in consecutive games and also the first time in team history that they have recorded back-to-back shutouts on the road.
LOOK AT THIS
Tucson Roadrunners Forward Hunter Drew clenches his fist after chucking Canucks with a knucks player. Or, chucking knucks with a Canucks player. However you want to word it. Drew’s tilt at the end of the first period swung the moment in Tucson’s favor and helped carry them into a 4-0 Friday night victory.
THEY SAID IT
That was a big win for us, this is a tough place to play in this barn here in Abbotsford. We had a good week of practice and it really translated. We’ll look to do the same thing tomorrow, we know it’s going to be a little bit tighter
Forward Austin Poganski after Tucson’s 4-0 victory on Friday night
THE RUNDOWN
The Roadrunners ventured up north for a two-game series with the Abbotsford Canucks in the sub-freezing temps and came out scorching hot; recording their second consecutive shutout, for the second time in team history, and scoring a goal in the first, the second, and two in the third. In the first, it was Ben McCartney getting things started for the good guys. At the 12:48 mark McCartney would break the 0-0 tie with assists from Josh Doan and Jan Jenik. With Dylan Guenther being up with the Coyotes, Josh Doan has taken over as the team’s leading scorer with 13 goals and nine assists. The stingy Tucson defense would hold Abbotsford to just six shots in the frame. This is the ninth time in seven games that Tucson has held their opponent to six shots or less in a period.
An early Abbotsford tripping minor in the second would put Tucson on the power-play. Tucson, who has now scored on nine of 33 power-play attempts in their last nine games, took advantage of the man-advantage and scored the second goal of the night. Austin Poganski scored, bringing his season goal total to five. The Poganski power-play goal would be the only scoring of the period and after 40 minutes in British Columbia, Tucson led 2-0.
In the third period, it was more of the same from Tucson, good offense and offensive chances and stellar goaltender play from Matthew Villalta and the Roadrunners defense. Abbotsford only tallied 10 shots in the third and Villalta was a perfect 30/30 on the night. With Dylan Wells’ shutout on Saturday, January 6th, and Villalta’s shutout on Friday night it was the second time in team history with back-to-back shutouts, and first time in team history with different goaltenders recording shutouts in consecutive games. In addition, it marked the first time in team history that Tucson has recorded back-to-back shutouts on the road. It took about half of the period for Tucson to pull away and add their final two goals of the contest. At the 10:14 mark in the third it would be Jan Jenik scoring his ninth of the year. Jenik was assisted by Peter Diliberatore and Ben McCartney. 90 seconds later it would be Justin Kirkland lighting the lamp for Tucson and giving the Roadrunners a 4-0 lead. Kirkland would shoot the puck off the goalies back and in capping off a night where a lot went right for the boys in that Roadrunner red.
Tucson will square off again on Saturday night at the Abbotsford Centre before returning home on Monday, January 15th against the Iowa Wild at the Tucson Arena.
