Game #56: San Diego Gulls (2) at Tucson Roadrunners (1) (OT)

SOG: SD (27) – TUC (40)

PP: SD (0/2) – TUC (0/4)

SAN DIEGO SCORING: Chase Priskie (5, 6 OT)

TUCSON SCORING: Colin Theisen (2)

ROADRUNNERS FALL 2-1 IN OVERTIME SATURDAY NIGHT AGAINST SAN DIEGO GULLS

Tucson, Arizona – The Tucson Roadrunners and San Diego Gulls went to overtime for the second consecutive contest Saturday night, with Tucson falling in overtime by a score of 2-1. Forward Colin Theisen found the back of the net late in the middle period for his second goal of the season with the Roadrunners, and was one of three Tucson forwards to drop the gloves on Saturday. The Roadrunners are 3-1-2-0 in their last six outings following the weekend set and will head out on the road to face the Milwaukee Admirals for the final two meetings of their four-game season series Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11.

YA GOTTA SEE IT

Roadrunners forward Colin Theisen put Tucson on the board with his second goal of the season Saturday night. The goal came with 2:51 remaining in the middle frame and evened the score at 1-1. Theisen started the action on Saturday with his first professional fight since joining the Roadrunners from Arizona State University late last season. The 25-year-old has appeared in 16 games with Tucson on the year with two points (1g 1a) and nine shots on goal in his last four home outings.

DON’T OVERLOOK IT

CLEANING HOUSE – The Roadrunners matched a franchise record for their longest unbeaten streak on home ice Saturday night, as they earned at least a standings point in their eighth consecutive outing at the Tucson Arena dating back to January 24. Tucson has gone 6-0-2-0 during that stretch and are 7-1-2-0 in their last ten home contests. The Roadrunners previously recorded eight-game unbeaten streaks in the 2017-2018 and 2019-2020 campaigns. Saturday also represented Tucson’s third-straight home matchup without a power-play goal allowed and their fifth consecutive game overall with a perfect penalty-kill, which ties a season high.

PHOTO OF THE GAME

Saturday’s series finale between Tucson and San Diego saw two skaters make their Roadrunners debuts. Defenseman Michael Kesselring (#4) recorded three shots on goal and played key minutes in his first game as a Roadrunner, after the 23-year-old was acquired by the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday and made his NHL debut with the Coyotes on Friday at Mullett Arena. Tucson also added forward Michal Mrazik (#25) from the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators for Saturday’s matchup against San Diego. The 21-year-old tallied a shot on goal in his American Hockey League debut with the Roadrunners on Saturday after lighting the lamp for the sixth time this season with Atlanta the night before.

THEY SAID IT

“We’re giving ourselves a chance [every game], no doubt. There’s still more in there, but there is a lot of will and good character in the room. It’s a matter of making sure that we continue on in that process. The guys are persistent with it and they’re always trying to find another inch to their game.”

Roadrunners Head Coach Steve Potvin on Tucson’s effort leading to a pair of standings points in the weekend series against San Diego.

THE RUNDOWN

Saturday night’s action began with a fight between Tucson’s Colin Theisen and San Diego’s Evan Weinger with 7:33 still to play in the opening frame. The bout represented Theisen’s first time dropping the gloves since turning pro following a record-setting season at Arizona State University in 2021-2022. The Roadrunners outdrew the Gulls in trips to the power-play two to one through 20 minutes and fired off 24 shots in the first period to set a new season high for shots on goal in a frame. Tucson’s 24 shots were just two away from matching the all-time team record from nearly two years ago to the day on March 5, 2021, when they recorded 26 shots in the third period against the Texas Stars. Despite 38 combined shots in the period, the Roadrunners and Gulls were still scoreless entering the middle frame with Tucson goalie Ivan Prosvetov stopping all 14 shots faced for his third-straight first period without a goal allowed. San Diego broke the scoreless tie 1:20 into the second with a goal by defenseman Chase Priskie in his Gulls debut. The Roadrunners answered back with 2:51 still to play in the period when Colin Theisen took a breakaway chance and buried the puck for his second goal of the year, evening the score at 1-1. Shots on goal in the middle frame decreased for both teams from the first 20 minutes, but the final 4:04 of the period featured a pair of fights involving Tucson forwards. Mike Carcone dropped the gloves with Gulls defenseman Quinn Wichers for his fourth bout of the year, and Roadrunners Captain Adam Cracknell followed up his linemate by taking on Nikolas Brouillard for his second fight of the season. With a score of 1-1 after 40 minutes, Tucson and San Diego entered the third period all tied up for the second-straight night. Saturday’s final frame between the Roadrunners and Gulls marked the second consecutive scoreless third period on the weekend, as the I-8 Border Rivals went to overtime once again. Tucson outshot San Diego 11 to one over the final 20 minutes of regulation and had held their I-8 Border Rivals scoreless since the opening 1:20 of the second period. With 15 seconds still to play in the three-on-three overtime period, Gulls defenseman Chase Priskie lit the lamp for the second time on the night to give San Diego a 2-1 victory in the series finale.

(Photo Credits: Kate Dibildox/Chris Hook)