Game #62: Tucson Roadrunners (3) @ Ontario Reign (0)
Game #62: Tucson Roadrunners (3) at Ontario Reign (0)
SOG: TUC (27) – ONT (24)
PP: TUC (0/4) – ONT (0/6)
ONTARIO SCORING:
TUCSON SCORING: Montana Onyebuchi (3), Andrew Agozzino (18), Travis Barron (7)
Villalta, Roadrunners Blank Reign 3-0 for Statement Win in Ontario
Ontario, CA – Missing their points leader, Kailer Yamamoto, who was recalled to the Utah Hockey Club earlier in the day, the Tucson Roadrunners (30-27-3-2) delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, shutting out the Ontario Reign (36-22-3-1) with a 3-0 victory Wednesday at Toyota Arena.
Before the game, head coach Steve Potvin emphasized the importance of keeping his goaltender from facing a barrage of high-danger chances. His team delivered, as Matthew Villalta stopped all 24 shots he faced for his career-high fourth shutout of the season. The perfect performance was even more special for Villalta, who recorded it in his 200th career AHL game against his former team.
Defenseman Montana Onyebuchi, returning to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension, broke the scoreless deadlock midway through the second period with the game-winning goal.
Alternate captain Andrew Agozzino recorded an assist on Onyebuchi’s tally and sealed the victory with an empty-net goal late in the third for his sixth multi-point game of the season. Defenseman Max Szuber notched two assists for his fourth multi-point effort of the campaign, while fellow alternate captain Travis Barron added Tucson’s second empty-netter with two seconds remaining.
The victory snapped Tucson’s two-game skid and secured its first win of the five-game road trip. It also ended a two-game losing streak against the Reign and marked the Roadrunners’ second consecutive win in Ontario.
With the Roadrunners’ win and the Bakersfield Condors’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Eagles on Wednesday, Tucson extended its lead over Bakersfield to three points in the Pacific Division standings, strengthening its hold on the seventh and final postseason spot with 65 points.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Onyebuchi made a statement in his return to the lineup, lighting the lamp midway through the second period to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead. The goal marked his third of the season—and second against the Reign—tying him with six other Roadrunners (Ben McCartney, Curtis Douglas, Cameron Hebig, Agozzino, and Barron) for the team lead in goals against Ontario. The tally also matched his career-high of three goals in a season, set in 2022-23 with the San Jose Barracuda. That year, he recorded a career-best 10 points, a mark he’s now just three points away from matching.
But Onyebuchi wasn’t done. Just six seconds later, he dropped the gloves with Ontario’s Jacob Doty in a marathon tilt that left both combatants exhausted. The scrap was Onyebuchi’s eighth of the season, tying him with Douglas for the team lead. It also marked the second time he’s squared off against Doty this season, with their first bout coming back on Nov. 13 in Ontario.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Villalta’s career-high fourth shutout of the season is just one shy of the franchise record for most in a single campaign. Former Roadrunner and current Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill set the mark with five shutouts in 2017-18.
Wednesday’s clean sheet was also the ninth shutout of Villalta’s career, with seven of them coming in a Roadrunners sweater. The 25-year-old Ontario, Canada, native recorded the first two shutouts of his career with the Reign, making his dominant performance against his previous club even sweeter.
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST PERIOD
The Roadrunners came out strong and generated the game’s first few shots and scoring chances. Sammy Walker nearly opened the scoring with a wraparound attempt, followed by a one-timer from Agozzino from the left circle just under three minutes in.
Three minutes later, McCartney created another golden opportunity for Tucson. He outraced Ontario’s Reilly Walsh and deked past Samuel Fagemo for a breakaway against Reign goaltender Pheonix Copley. McCartney deked to his backhand, but his shot sailed just wide at the six-minute mark.
Tucson was forced to kill off the game’s first penalty when Maveric Lamoureux was called for holding. The Roadrunners’ penalty killers shut down the Reign, and didn’t allow a single shot on net. The PK unit was tested again midway through the period when Hunter Drew took a double minor for high-sticking. Tucson’s shorthanded specialists stepped up once more, and Villalta made four key saves, including a big stop on Fagemo’s one-timer from the low left circle.
The Roadrunners closed the period with a strong push, nearly breaking the deadlock in the final minute. Defenseman Artem Duda had a prime scoring chance from the high slot with Copley sprawled in the crease, but the Reign netminder made a desperation stick save. Moments later, rookie forward Sam Lipkin found defenseman Robbie Russo with a perfect setup from behind the net, but Copley made another highlight-reel stop to deny Russo’s one-timer from the low right circle.
SECOND PERIOD
Villalta continued his stellar play, and turned aside a pair of point-blank chances from Fagemo just 18 seconds into the second period. Villalta made six key stops in the opening eight minutes, setting the stage for Tucson’s game-opening goal at 8:16.
Onyebuchi pounced on a loose rebound in the high slot, and fired a hard wrist shot past Copley to put the Roadrunners ahead 1-0. Just six seconds after the ensuing faceoff, Onyebuchi fought Doty in a lengthy heavyweight bout. The two slugged it out until officials finally stepped in as both fighters exceeded the point limits of their endurance.
The Reign pushed back in the second half of the period, but Villalta remained a brick wall. He robbed Martin Chromiak on a one-timer with just over five minutes left and shut down Caleb Jones on back-to-back opportunities moments later.
Tucson generated its own offensive pressure late in the period and earned its first full-length power play after Ontario’s Jakub Dvořák was called for slashing with two minutes left. The Roadrunners nearly doubled their lead in the final seconds of the period when rookie Julian Lutz sauced a pass to Hebig inches above the crease. However, Copley snatched the puck with his glove to keep it a 1-0 game heading into the final intermission.
THIRD PERIOD
Ontario nearly found the equalizer just over a minute into the final frame when Charles Hudon deflected Jones’ point shot from above the crease. However, Villalta tracked the puck through traffic and made a key save to keep Tucson ahead.
Moments later, the Reign went on their fourth power play after the Roadrunners were called for too many men. As they had all night, Tucson’s penalty killers stood tall, smothering Ontario’s man advantage to keep the lead intact.
After successfully killing the bench minor, the Roadrunners earned their third power play of the night when Doty was sent off for hooking six and a half minutes in. Midway through the man advantage, tempers flared as Agozzino and Ontario’s Andre Lee got into an altercation near the Roadrunners bench after the whistle. Both players received roughing minors, but Agozzino was also assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, negating the remainder of Tucson’s power play.
Ontario had a brief power play once Doty’s minor expired, but it was cut short when McCartney broke out of the zone, raced into Ontario territory, and was slashed by Jones. On the ensuing Tucson power play, Egor Sokolov fired a one-timer from the left circle that sailed just wide. The Roadrunners continued pressing, generating a pair of high-danger chances—one from McCartney in front of the net and another on a blast from the point by Szuber.
The Reign pushed for the equalizer once play returned to even strength past the midway mark, but Tucson’s defensive structure stifled Ontario’s attack. Chromiak finally registered Ontario’s first shot in nearly nine minutes at the 12-minute mark, but the Roadrunners’ blue line continued to frustrate the Reign offense.
With five minutes remaining, Tucson nearly put the game away when Agozzino broke in alone on a breakaway, but Copley made a clutch stop to keep Ontario within striking distance. However, Agozzino wouldn’t be denied on his next opportunity, as he buried an empty-net goal at 3:06 to give Tucson a 2-0 lead.
Barron sealed the victory with another empty-netter in the final second, securing a 3-0 shutout win for the Roadrunners.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will head south and continue their five-game road trip with a Friday Night matchup against the San Diego Gulls at Pechanga Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. MST, and fans can catch the action live on AHLTV on FloHockey.
