Game #41: Tucson Roadrunners (3) vs Bakersfield Condors (2)
Game #41: Tucson Roadrunners vs Bakersfield Condors
SOG: TUC (31) – BAK (30)
PP: TUC (1/6) – ONT (1/3)
BAKERSFIELD SCORING: Seth Griffith (8), Matvey Petrov (5)
TUCSON SCORING: Colin Theisen (3), Nathan Smith (5), Jan Jenik (10)
It was goal #10 on the year for Jan Jenik and the judges (us) give it a perfect 10. A deflection in front of the net, late in the game, division rivalry, on the road, game-winner. Rockstar stuff from Jan Jenik. Jenik has now scored multiple points in four games this season.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
TOUCHING THE STOVE LIKE MOM SAID NOT TO – You know when your mom says “don’t touch the stove, it’s hot” but you have to find out for yourself? That was the Tucson Roadrunners tonight, being told not to touch Bakersfield, they’ve been hot. Really hot. The haven’t lost in regulation in their last 10-straight home games since December 12th and haven’t lost this season when leading after two periods. But let’s focus of the Roadrunners; Tucson picked up it’s second win when trailing after two periods on Wednesday night in Bakersfield. Tucson currently has a .659 winning percentage which leads the Pacific Division and is third in the Western Conference. Now THAT is hotter than the stove mom said not to touch.
LOOK AT THIS
Tucson Roadrunners players Austin Poganski, Steven Kampfer, Jan Jenik, and Justin Kirkland celebrate a late third period goal from Jan Jenik. Jenik’s goal gave Tucson the 3-2 lead which they would hold onto for the final six and a half minutes. Jenik has 10 goals on the season and four games with multiple points.
THEY SAID IT
“That’s a really good hockey team over there so for us to come in and get a gritty win was huge. After we scored that goal, they (Bakersfield) had a good push and it was a good answer back from us.”
Forward Nathan Smith after Tucson’s 3-2 win on Wednesday night.
THE RUNDOWN
A quiet start to the Tucson Roadrunners and Bakersfield Condors game couldn’t have been further from the energy of the Tucson Roadrunners fans at the watch party at Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers in Oro Valley. As Colin Theisen received a pass from Josh Doan and Lleyton Moore at the 16:24 mark of the first period and ripped it past the Bakersfield netminder, the faithful fans erupted and cheers’d their beers as Tucson took a 1-0 lead. Josh Doan picked up his 12th assist and Theisen scored for the second consecutive game since being recalled to Tucson from the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. Despite being 0/3 on the power-play, Tucson outshot Bakersfield 13-10 in the frame and goalie Matthew Villalta was perfect, saving all 10 shots he faced.
The script turned on its head in the second period as Tucson was outshot 15-9 and had three minor penalties against, the opposite of the first period. Bakersfield answered the first period Colin Theisen snipe with a goal of their own on the power-play. The game was knotted up 1-1 for just under 10 minutes of play before the Condors would score an even strength goal in the final 30 seconds of the second period. Despite allowing two Bakersfield goals, Matthew Villalta was fantastic in the second frame, saving 13 shots on three separate Condor’s power-plays.
Tucson trailed for what felt like an eternity before Nathan Smith put the Bakersfield goalie into a blender and ripped the puck into the back of the net. It was at the 12:23 mark that Smith scored, tying the game 2-2. It was Smith’s fifth goal of the season, and he was assisted by Jan Jenik and Steven Kampfer on the power-play. Just one minute and six seconds after tying the game, Tucson would take the lead. Jan Jenik would score an even-strength goal assisted by Steven Kampfer and Austin Poganski. The second assist of the night for Kampfer marked his first game this season with multiple points. Jenik tallied his 10th goal of the year, perhaps none bigger than tonight’s as the Roadrunners would hold on to the 3-2 lead and defeat Bakersfield.
