Game #53: Tucson Roadrunners (4) vs Calgary Wranglers (5)
Game #53: Tucson Roadrunners vs Calgary Wranglers
SOG: TUC (31) – CGY (29)
PP: TUC (1/6) – CGY (3/6)
CALGARY SCORING: Adam Klapka (13), William Stromgren (3), Ben Jones (19), Mitch McLain (10), Cole Schwindt (14)
TUCSON SCORING: Cam Hebig (9), Milos Kelemen (12), Justin Kirkland (4), Austin Poganski (12)
Stop on a dime, spray some snow, get past the defender, light the lamp. Just the sequence of events for Tucson Forward Cam Hebig who scored his ninth goal of the season in the first period of Tuesday night’s contest. Hebig scored his 20th point of the season in the game, which surpasses his point total from last season of 19. Hebig has scored 9 goals and has 11 assists in 42 games played.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
BUZZIN’ – It’s the only word appropriate to describe the current state of the Tucson Roadrunners offense. For the 5th time this season, the Tucson Roadrunners have scored four goals or more in at least two-straight games. The Roadrunners have had six different players score goals in their last two games and three players have had multiple-goals in the last two games (Austin Poganski, Milos Kelemen, Jan Jenik).
LOOK AT THIS
Milos Kelemen scores a first period goal in Tuesday night’s contest against the Calgary Wranglers. Kelemen gave Tucson a 2-1 lead with his goal and was assisted by Aku Raty and Nathan Smith. Raty has a four-game point streak and Smith had two assists in the contest.
THEY SAID IT
“These are big games in terms of standings, and we have to find a way to hold on to that lead. It’s good to get the point but we are not satisfied. We’re finding some good chemistry right now and everyone is contributing. We are finding a way to produce and generate, and we need to continue with that tomorrow night.”
Forward Justin Kirkland following Tucson’s 5-4 overtime loss on Tuesday night.
THE RUNDOWN
The Tucson Roadrunners showed early life in the Tuesday night contest, getting on the board first 5:48 into the game. It was Cam Hebig who would score his ninth goal of the season. Hebig was assisted by Travis Barron. The back-and-forth battle would begin as the second goal of the contest would be scored by Calgary knotting things up 1-1. Milos Kelemen, just over a minute after Calgary tied things up, would score his 12th goal of the year and give Tucson the 2-1 lead. Nathan Smith and Aku Raty would assist Kelemen on the goal.
In the second frame, the scoring looked similar to the first period; Tucson goal, Calgary answer, Tucson goal. The first, scored by Justin Kirkland, gave Tucson a 3-1 lead just 34 seconds into the second. Just under three minutes later, Calgary would answer and make it 3-2. A Calgary minor would then send Tucson to the power-play up by a goal. It would be Austin Poganski capitalizing on the man advantage and extending the Tucson lead back to two. Nathan Smith picked up his second assist of the night on the Poganski goal.
The 5:26 mark of the second, when Austin Poganski scored, would be the last goal of the night for the Roadrunners. The third period was steady for the Roadrunners until about the halfway mark. At that point it would be a power-play goal scored by the Wranglers and injecting them with a new life. Trailing by one it would be Calgary again, knotting things up 4-4 with just 59 seconds left in regulation.
The tie game would be broken on an overtime game-winner on the power-play from the Wranglers 2:40 in the overtime period. Tucson looks to answer back Wednesday night at 6:30pm from the Tucson Arena.
