Game Preview - Tucson Roadrunners at San Diego Gulls
AHL Tucson Roadrunners

Game Preview - Tucson Roadrunners at San Diego Gulls

Published on March 31, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Tucson Roadrunners News Release


San Diego, CA - The Tucson Roadrunners (30-24-9-0) have a chance to move into the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division on Wednesday when they visit the San Diego Gulls (29-31-8-4) at Pechanga Arena.

San Diego currently holds the final playoff position, sitting just one point ahead of Tucson. The Roadrunners also have a game in hand, and a regulation win on Wednesday would push them past the Gulls in the standings.

While the stakes are high, there is still plenty of hockey left. Tucson has nine games remaining, with seven coming on the road. Wednesday's matchup opens a season-high seven-game road trip before the Roadrunners return home to close out the regular season against the Henderson Silver Knights on April 17-18 at Tucson Arena.

Tucson enters the contest on a hot streak, having won five of its last six games and earned points in six of its last seven. The Roadrunners are coming off a 4-2 win over the first-place Ontario Reign on Saturday, capping a 7-4-1-0 March that matched their season high for wins in a month, and will look to continue that momentum into April.

The team has also been strong away from home, winning three of its last four road games and posting a 12-6-0-0 (.667) record on the road in 2026, dating back to Jan. 2 at Calgary.

Tucson has found recent success against San Diego, winning each of the last two meetings. The Roadrunners are 2-0-0-0 on the road against the Gulls this season and 2-2-2-0 overall in the season series after San Diego won the first four matchups in Tucson. Both of Tucson's recent wins came in extra - one in overtime and one in a shootout - as the Roadrunners look for their first regulation victory over the Gulls this year.

San Diego enters Wednesday looking to snap a two-game losing streak after being swept by the Abbotsford Canucks on the road last weekend. Despite recent struggles, the Gulls have been strong at home, winning three straight and four of their last five at Pechanga Arena.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

HISTORY WITHIN REACH

Cameron Hebig and Scott Perunovich are both closing in on franchise history after matching team records in Tucson's win over Ontario on Saturday.

Hebig scored his 20th goal of the season and recorded his 180th career point with Tucson, tying Michael Bunting for the franchise's all-time lead in points. He needs just one more point to become the Roadrunners' all-time leader. Hebig already holds franchise records in goals (83) and games played (348).

Perunovich recorded his team-leading 35th assist of the season Saturday, tying Jamie McBain for the most assists by a Roadrunners defenseman in a single season (2016-17). His 43 points also match the franchise record for a defenseman, shared by McBain and Kyle Wood. Among AHL defensemen, Perunovich ranks fourth in assists (35) and fifth in points (43). He enters Wednesday on a season-high five-game assist and point streak, totaling seven points (1g, 6a) since March 15.

AGOZZINO ON A ROLL

Andrew Agozzino is heating up at the right time. The Roadrunners assistant captain is coming off a two-goal performance against Ontario on Saturday, marking his fourth multi-goal game of the season, tied with Daniil But for the team lead, and ninth multi-point effort of the season.

Agozzino has been a driving force offensively over the past few weeks, scoring in four of his last six games since March 14 while racking up 10 points (7g, 3a). He's been even more consistent as a playmaker, posting multi-point efforts in five of his last seven games dating back to March 11, totaling 13 points (7g, 6a) in that stretch.

His impact has also extended to special teams, with two power-play goals in his last four games. His tally on Saturday was his team-leading seventh of the season and the 98th power-play goal of his AHL career.

DEPTH STEPPING UP

Tucson's recent surge hasn't just come from its top players - timely scoring throughout the lineup has played a key role.

Julian Lutz added his fifth goal of the season on Saturday, while Robbie Russo and Jalen Luypen each found the back of the net in Friday's matchup against Ontario. The trend started earlier in the week, when Michal Kunc scored his sixth of the season in a 4-1 win at Manitoba on March 23.

Since Kunc's third-period goal against the Moose, four of Tucson's last seven goals have come from outside the top scorers, highlighting the team's balanced offense heading into the home stretch.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

66 - Goaltender Matthew Villalta is closing in on the Roadrunners' all-time wins record. In his third season with Tucson, Villalta has 65 career wins with the club, just one shy of tying former Roadrunner and current Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill for the franchise mark (66). Villalta is riding a two-game winning streak, dating back to March 15 vs. San Jose, when he made 44 saves.

WE'RE DOING IT LIVE

Wednesday's game will be streamed on AHLtv on FloHockey. Fans can also listen live on FOX Sports 1450 AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. AZT with Roadrunners Warm-Up hosted by David Mooradian.

Check out the Tucson Roadrunners Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from March 31, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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