Roadrunners Earn Point After Dramatic Comeback in Des Moines
AHL Tucson Roadrunners

Roadrunners Earn Point After Dramatic Comeback in Des Moines

Published on November 2, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Tucson Roadrunners News Release


Des Moines, IA - The Tucson Roadrunners (4-5-2-0) wrapped up their quick two-game road trip with a dramatic comeback effort in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Iowa Wild (3-5-0-1) on Sunday afternoon at Casey's Center. Tucson overcame a pair of two-goal third-period deficits after leading early in the contest.

The Roadrunners trailed 4-2 with just over five minutes remaining but rallied with two late goals to force overtime. Lleyton Moore scored his first of the season to make it 4-3 with 5:24 left, and Ben McCartney netted his fourth of the year with 36 seconds remaining to send the game to extra time.

Iowa's Liam Öhgren tallied the game-winner midway through overtime to help the Wild avoid the weekend sweep.

Despite the setback, three Roadrunners recorded their first points of the season, including first goals from Julian Lutz and Moore, while Sam Lipkin collected his first assist on Lutz's opening tally.

Tucson rookie Daniil But recorded a goal and two assists for his first career three-point game, leading all skaters. Three Roadrunners finished with multi-point efforts. In addition to But's performance, Moore had a goal and an assist for his first multi-point night of the campaign in just his second game of the season. Maveric Lamoureux added a pair of helpers for his first multi-point outing of the year.

The Roadrunners earned three of a possible four points on the weekend and remain in the top half of the Pacific Division standings in fifth place with 10 points-one behind the fourth-place Ontario Reign (11) and two ahead of the sixth-place Bakersfield Condors (8).

NOTABLES

Three second-year Roadrunners recorded their first points of the season (Lutz, Lipkin and Moore), with two notching their first multi-point performances (Lamoureux and Moore).

Kevin Connauton skated in his 450th AHL game and Matthew Villalta played his 100th game as a Roadrunner.

After recording his second assist of the series, Scott Perunovich leads the team with seven assists and ranks first among Tucson defensemen with seven points. He is also tied for third among all AHL blueliners in assists and tied for fifth in points.

Daniil But posted a goal and two assists for his first career three-point game and second multi-point effort of the season. The 2023 12th-overall pick led Tucson with four points (1g, 3a) in the two-game set at Iowa. The 20-year-old rookie leads all Roadrunners rookies in goals (4), assists (5), and points (9). The Yaroslavl, Russia native ranks tied for fourth among AHL rookies in goals, assists, and points.

Ben McCartney's game-tying goal with 36 seconds remaining to force overtime was the second-latest in regulation for Tucson this season, behind Kevin Rooney's game-tying tally with 22 seconds left versus Ontario on Oct. 10.

Moore's multi-point game was the third of his career (last: Feb. 8, 2025, at San Jose).

Lamoureux's two-assist night marked the second multi-point game of his career (last: Oct. 19, 2024, vs. Texas).

Julian Lutz (No. 43) opens the scoring with his first goal of the season late in the third period of Sunday's game against Iowa. (Tim Garland / Iowa Wild)

THE RUNDOWN

FIRST PERIOD

Looking to avoid a sweep, Iowa dedicated the pace early and had the game's first six shots, but Matthew Villalta stood tall and made key saves with his glove and right pad on Carson Lambos and Ben Gleason in the opening seven minutes.

The tide shifted after Tucson earned the first power play of the night just before the eight-minute mark. The Roadrunners had a couple of close chances but couldn't capitalize, as Iowa goaltender Samuel Hlavaj turned aside quality looks from Andrew Agozzino and Cameron Hebig.

The Wild continued to apply pressure in search of their first goal of the weekend, keeping the Roadrunners pinned in their own zone for stretches of play. However, Villalta turned aside all 11 of Iowa's shots to keep the Wild off the board.

As the period wound down, Tucson broke through when Lutz fired a wrist shot past Hlavaj's glove at 17:27 for his first goal of the season, giving the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

SECOND PERIOD

Tucson carried the momentum from the first period into the second and outshot Iowa 9-0 through the first half of the frame, but the Roadrunners couldn't extend the lead. Hlavaj's strong play between the pipes kept it a one-goal game, including a sprawling right pad save to deny McCartney early in the frame.

Tempers began to flare as the period wore on, with several scrums breaking out between the two teams as the Wild continued to press for the equalizer.

Iowa's offensive struggles persisted, as their first shot of the period didn't come until the 11:47 mark.

Moments later, McCartney continued to impact the game and dropped the gloves with Mark Liwiski at 12:35. He's just the second Roadrunner this season to record a fighting major alongside Montana Onyebuchi.

After Tucson was unable to convert on a two-on-one rush between Hebig and Agozzino, Iowa capitalized on a late opportunity as Caedan Bankier backhanded the puck into an open net to tie the game 1-1 at 16:03.

THIRD PERIOD

The final frame opened with Villalta's best save of the night, a stellar left-pad stop on Gerry Mayhew's backdoor chance just 1:05 into the period.

Within a span of three minutes, however, the Wild grabbed their first lead of the series. Liwiski fired a turnaround forehand past a screened Villalta to make it 2-1, and Oskar Olausson followed with a wrister that slipped through the arm and pad of the Tucson netminder for a 3-1 Iowa advantage at 6:02.

Tucson answered at 8:44 when But jammed home a loose puck for his fourth goal of the season after sustained pressure in the Wild zone, cutting the deficit to 3-2. But Iowa quickly responded, as Hunter Haight restored the two-goal cushion with a wrist shot past Villalta's glove at 10:04.

The Roadrunners refused to go quietly. Moore brought Tucson back within one at 13:05, snapping a shot past Hlavaj for his first goal of the season and the fifth tally of a fast-paced period.

Tucson nearly found the equalizer minutes later when a red-line dump-in took an awkward bounce toward the crease, forcing Hlavaj to make a glove save on Michal Kunc to preserve the one-goal lead.

With 36 seconds remaining in regulation, the Roadrunners finally broke through. A net-front scramble sent the puck loose to McCartney, who buried it into the open net for his fourth of the season to tie the game at 4-4 and force overtime after a frantic finish to regulation.

UP NEXT

The Roadrunners return home to open a two-game weekend series against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Friday and Saturday at Tucson Arena. Both matchups are scheduled for 7 p.m. AZT. Fans can listen live on FOX Sports 1450 AM and the iHeartRadio app and watch on AHLtv on FloHockey.

Check out the Tucson Roadrunners Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from November 2, 2025


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