Phoenix Concludes Season-High Eight-Game Road Trip This Week

Published on February 16, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release


'RUNNERS REWIND: The Phoenix RoadRunners finished the week sitting at 3-3 on their current season-high eight-game road trip following a win Friday in Idaho and losses Tuesday at Las Vegas and Saturday at Idaho. With a record of 21-23-3 and 45 points, the RoadRunners sit in fifth place in the West Division three points behind fourth place Utah, and in eighth place in the National Conference.

Tuesday, Tyler Mosienko's goal 3:51 into the third period proved to be the difference as the Las Vegas Wranglers edged the Phoenix RoadRunners 3-2 before 3,230 at the Orleans Arena.

Las Vegas (25-18-3) opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first period as Hugo Carpentier found Chris Ferraro in the slot and Ferraro snuck the puck through the pads of RoadRunners' goalie Craig Kowalski for a 1-0 lead.

The Wranglers increased their lead to two 58 seconds into the second period getting a five-on-three power play goal from Chris Neiszner. The RoadRunners (20-22-3) got on the scoreboard late in the second when John McNabb flipped Kimbi Daniels' rebound back behind Wranglers' goalie Glenn Fisher at 16:34 on the power play to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Mosienko gave Las Vegas their two-goal lead back early in third period when he beat Kowalski over the shoulder with a shot from the left-wing circle at 3:51. Phoenix made things interesting in the closing minutes as Jeremy Swanson jammed home Gino Guyer's rebound through Fisher at 17:34 of the third to bring the RoadRunners to within a goal at 3-2. But with Kowalski pulled for the extra attacker, the RoadRunners could not muster the equalizer in the end.

Each team had 30 shots on goal. Kowalski stopped 27 shots but suffered the loss and fell to 17-13-1 on the season. The RoadRunners went 1-4 on the power play while Las Vegas was 1-4 with the man-advantage.

Friday, Merit Waldrop recorded the first multi-goal game of his professional career and tallied his first ever game-winning goal to propel the Phoenix RoadRunners to a 3-1 win over the Idaho Steelheads before 4,579 at Qwest Arena.

Following a scoreless first period, the teams traded single goals in the second. The RoadRunners (21-223) opened the scoring at 4:18 of the period when Kimbi Daniels found Waldrop with a drop pass in the slot and Waldrop slapped the puck past Steelheads' goalie Matt Climie giving Phoenix a 1-0 lead. Idaho (26-16-3) netted the equalizer just a little more than two minutes later to tie the score at 1-1. With the RoadRunners on a power play, Mark Bomersback worked a shot around goalie Kyle Jones along the ice and into the net for a shorthanded tally at 6:21.

It would remain tied until a stretch of 1:55 seconds in the third period where the RoadRunners scored twice to put the game away. Waldrop netted his second goal of the evening off a hard working play from Mitch Carefoot in the neutral zone as he snapped a shot over Climie's right shoulder and into the net at 12:18 of the third to give the RoadRunners a 2-1 lead. John McNabb iced the game with his second goal in as many games adding an insurance tally off a feed from Daniel Sisca at 14:13 to cap the scoring.

The RoadRunners out-shot Idaho 36-26. Jones stopped 25 shots and picked up the win to improve to 2-8-1 on the season. The RoadRunners went 0-6 on the power play while Idaho was 0-6 with the man-advantage.

Saturday, Bryan McGregor had a goal and three assists as the Idaho Steelheads doubled up the Phoenix RoadRunners 4-2 to earn a split in the two-game weekend series before 4,963 at Qwest Arena in ECHL action Saturday.

Idaho (27-16-3) jumped out to a 2-1 lead after twenty minutes. Garett Bembridge opened the scoring for the Steelheads at 4:07 of the first period with the RoadRunners finishing up a four-minute power play. McGregor led a two-on-one rush up the ice and fed Bembridge who tipped the puck past an outstretched RoadRunners' goalie Kyle Jones for a shorthanded goal and a 1-0 lead. John McNabb netted the equalizer with a power play goal at 15:47 of the first finishing off Kimbi Daniels' centering pass from the left-wing corner. But the Steelheads would grab the lead back before the end of the period as Mark Bomersback was left unattended in front of the net and converted on Marty Flichel's centering pass at 18:07.

Ben Nelson increased the Steelheads' advantage to 3-1 scoring the lone goal of the middle period, a power play tally, at 13:59 of the second.

McGregor added a power play goal at 7:19 of the third period to give Idaho a 4-1 lead. The RoadRunners (21-23-2) got one back when Jeremy Swanson scored the RoadRunners' second power play goal of the evening at 9:15 on a two-man advantage, but Phoenix would get no closer.

Idaho out-shot the RoadRunners 29-27. Jones stopped 25 shots but suffered the loss to fall to 2-9-1 on the season. The RoadRunners went 2-13 on the power play while Idaho was 2-8 with the man-advantage.

THE TRIP SO FAR: Through six games on their season-high eight-game road trip, the RoadRunners are 3-3. Phoenix has averaged exactly three goals per game and has surrendered exactly three goals per game (18-18). The RoadRunners have out-shot the opposition on average by firing 32.8 shots per game while giving up 30.5 shots per contest. The RoadRunners have also scored at least one power play goal in four out of the six games and are converting at 15.7% on the man-advantage situation (6-38).

MCNABB MAKING HIS MOVE: Forward John McNabb is riding a season-high three-game goal scoring streak into play this week. The 10-year veteran has points in four out of his last five games and has collected seven goals and seven assists in 23 games since signing with the RoadRunners back on Dec. 11.

DANIELS A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY: Center Kimbi Daniels continues his point-a-game pace with 45 points in 46 games to date this year. Daniels has registered at least one point in 30 out of the 46 games played and leads the RoadRunners with 14 multiple-point efforts on the season. Daniels is currently riding a three-game points' streak with five assists dating back to last Tuesday against Las Vegas.

DEPLETED ROADRUNNERS: Five RoadRunners currently remain on either recall or loan to American Hockey League teams. Forwards Ashton Rome, P.J. Fenton, and Dan DaSilva were all recalled to Worcester in the last week while defenseman Brett Peterson was recalled to Grand Rapids last Monday and goalie Craig Kowalski was loaned to Norfolk Thursday.

NEWS & NOTES: Phoenix is 6-5 away from US Airways Center since beginning the year 2-7-1 on the road...Goalie Kyle Jones snapped a personal 11-game winless streak and earned his first victory Friday since a 7-6 shootout win Nov. 18 against Las Vegas...With two more shorthanded goals allowed over the weekend, the RoadRunners have now surrendered 12 shorthanded goals for the season, two shy of last year's ECHL club record of 14...Rookie defensemen Dane Crowley has collected points in five out of his last seven games and has five assists in the month of February.

WATCH THE 'RUNNERS LIVE IN '08-09: The RoadRunners have teamed up with B2 Networks to bring you live action of Phoenix RoadRunners hockey in 2008-09. RoadRunners fans will be able to click the "Watch Online" link at www.phxroadrunners.com to view and listen to the game. These broadcasts are available to fans for a charge of $6 per game. All 72 RoadRunners broadcasts will be available on-line. A cable or DSL Internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 are required to view the games.

UP NEXT: The RoadRunners conclude their season-high eight-game road trip at 3:00 p.m. Monday at Las Vegas and at 8:00 p.m. Friday at Ontario, and return home to welcome Alaska at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. Catch Friday's action live on Independent 1310 KXAM and all three games live at www.phxroadrunners.com beginning with "RoadRunners Countdown" twenty minutes prior to face-off. Information on season tickets, half-season packages, and flex plans for the 2008-09 season of Phoenix RoadRunners Hockey are available by calling (602) 462-GOAL.

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ECHL Stories from February 16, 2009


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