Roadrunners Recap: Tucson 2 Iowa 1 (Overtime): 10/26/2019

Game #7: Iowa (1) at Tucson (2) – OT

SOG: IA (43) – TUC (47)

PP: IA (0/4) – TUC (0/3)

IA SCORING: Duhaime (2) 

TUC SCORING: Pederson (8), Gross (2) 

A Goaltending Dual

Make it five wins in a row for the Tucson Roadrunners.

It took extra time to get there but thanks to a second consecutive evening of outstanding goaltending, the team held Iowa to just one goal once again and sent them toward the exit with only one point to show on the weekend.

Ivan Provsetov and Mat Robson put on a performance for the fans at Tucson Arena Saturday as the two combined to stop 87 of the 90 shots on goal they saw in a hard-fought battle to culminate the weekend.

Iowa earned the first goal of the evening on a shot that came from the glove-side of the first-year Russian netminder and somehow snuck through him but an answer from none other than the team-leading goal scorer Lane Pederson set the two back to square one before all was said and done in the second period.

Even through seven combined special teams opportunities the two netminders get the score equal through 60 minutes of regulation, forcing overtime for a second straight weekend at Tucson Arena.

In the extra frame it was defenseman Jordan Gross, who setup Andy Miele for last Friday’s game-winner over San Antonio, accepting a feed the other way around to extend Tucson’s winning ways and sweep another weekend.

The final line for Prosvetov, who was making just his second career start professionally, was 42 saves on 43 shots en route to his second win.

THEY SAID IT

“Tonight was an intense game.  It was a hard game; it was a heavy game and our guys played competitive against a tough team.  We found ourselves in the box a little more than we wanted but every once in a while you find yourself in those situations and I thought our penalty kill did a great job, especially late in the game. “

– Head Coach Jay Varady’s synopsis of tonight’s play by his team.

DON’T OVERLOOK IT

This was an Iowa team that came to Tucson atop the Western Conference and averaging four goals per night. The Roadrunners limited them to just one goal each night and when the two sides meet up again in December in Des Moines, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Iowa still near the top of the conference and continuing to be a high scoring team.

These past two weekends have been sizable tests for Tucson against good teams and thus far they’ve passed all four.

GOTTA SEE IT

Lane Pederson (who else?) does a nice job of twisting play from toward the Roadrunners end in neutral ice back toward the teams attacking end.  Andy Miele uses his jets to beat his guy and Jordan Gross’ excellent offensive awareness presents him with the ability to jump up into the play and fire.

PHOTO OF THE GAME

Faced with traffic and shots galore on Saturday, Ivan was focused through it all and backstopped Tucson to yet another W.