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RoadRunners find little luck against Las Vegas

February 11, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release


'RUNNERS REWIND: The Phoenix RoadRunners were swept by the National Conference leading Las Vegas Wranglers in a mini two-game set last week at US Airways Center. With a record of 16-26-6 and 38 points, the RoadRunners are currently fifth in the West Division and eighth overall in the National Conference. Phoenix is one point ahead of Bakersfield for the eighth and final playoff spot, and trail Stockton by three points for the seventh seed. Both the Condors and Thunder hold at least one game in hand over the RoadRunners.

Tuesday, Tyler Mosienko broke a 3-3 tie with 10:14 remaining in regulation and Shawn Limpright tallied two goals and added an assist to propel the Las Vegas Wranglers to a 5-3 victory over the Phoenix RoadRunners before 2,083 at US Airways Center.

Phoenix (16-25-6) jumped on the Wranglers early in the first period on the power play as Ryan Walsh curled out from behind the net and fed a beautiful pass across the slot to Reagan Rome who snapped it over the left shoulder of Las Vegas goalie Daniel Manzato at 12:36 for a 1-0 lead. The Wranglers (30-9-7) would tie the game at 1-1 after enjoying an extended 3:03 second power play. Brad Cole's shot from the blue line deflected off a RoadRunners' skate and deflected to Marco Peluso who slapped it by a sprawling RoadRunners goalie Dave McKee at 17:44 on the man-advantage.

The RoadRunners would come out strong in the second period as they proceeded to build a 3-1 advantage. Rome notched his second goal of the game when his long shot from the blue line beat a screened Manzato at 6:22 on a two-man advantage power play. Brian Nathe stretched the margin to two goals beating Manzato with another long shot, this time from the left point at 10:28. Las Vegas promptly responded with a pair of power play goals. Aaron Power finished a cross-ice feed from Brandon Kaleniecki at 12:42 and Limpright tied the contest at 3-3 when he tipped Adam Cracknell's shot over McKee's left shoulder at 15:20.

The score would remain tied until the 9:46 mark when Mosienko moved through two RoadRunners defensemen and flipped a backhand shot over McKee and into the net to give Las Vegas their first lead of the night at 4-3. Limpright sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:25.

Phoenix and Las Vegas each had 33 shots on goal. McKee stopped 28 shots but fell to 4-8-3 on the year. The RoadRunners went 2-7 on the power play while Las Vegas was 3-8 with the man-advantage.

Thursday, Peter Ferraro and Kelly Czuy each tallied a pair of goals in a four-goal second period, and the Las Vegas Wranglers scored three times on the power play to defeat the Phoenix RoadRunners 5-2 before 2,780 at US Airways Center.

The RoadRunners and Wranglers each traded goals in the opening period. Las Vegas (31-9-7) struck first at 11:00 on the power play when Shawn Limpright found Brandon Kaleniecki with a back-door pass at the side of the net, and Kaleniecki stuffed it past RoadRunners goalie Cody Rudkowsky for a 1-0 lead. Peder Skinner tallied the equalizer at 17:41 of the first when he received a pass in the slot from Ian Turner, made a nifty move to get around Wranglers goalie Kevin Lalande, and tapped the puck into the empty cage to tie the score at 1-1.

Las Vegas used that four-goal outburst in the second period to build a commanding 5-1 lead. Ferraro scored his first of back-to-back goals when he beat Rudkowsky over the glove with a wrist shot from the left-wing circle at 1:27. Ferraro netted his second of the game minutes later at 3:32 of the second on the power play tapping another back-door pass into the net for a 3-1 advantage. Czuy extended the Wranglers lead to three when Rudkowsky failed to squeeze the puck in the crease and Czuy tipped it into the open cage at 9:56. Czuy scored a second goal as well finishing off a pass from Bruce Mulherin at 18:06 of the second on the power play making it a 5-1 hockey game. The RoadRunners (16-26-6) would finally stop the Las Vegas attack as Ian Turner split the pads of Lalande with a slap shot from the left-wing circle at 19:54 on the power play to cut the margin to 5-2 heading into the second intermission.

Despite out-shooting Las Vegas 18-9 in the third period the RoadRunners could not produce any goals against Lalande.

Phoenix out-shot Las Vegas for the game 43-36. Rudkowsky stopped 31 shots but fell to 9-17-3 on the year. The RoadRunners went 1-7 on the power play while Las Vegas was 3-9 with the man-advantage.

WRANGLERS' RODEO OVER PHOENIX CONTINUES: With two more wins last week, the Las Vegas Wranglers continued their season and all-time mastery of the RoadRunners. Phoenix is just 1-7-0 in eight games this season against the Wranglers and 5-21-0 lifetime since returning to the ice back in 2005-06. Las Vegas has out-scored the RoadRunners by a more than two-to-one margin this year at 40-18, and is an impressive 17-54 on the power play converting at 31.5%. The two clubs will meet four more times in the regular season, including Apr. 1 at US Airways Center.

PENALTY KILL PLUMMETS: The RoadRunners surrendered six power play goals last week against Las Vegas dropping their penalty kill efficiency to 83.1% for the season, good for 12th overall in the ECHL. Phoenix has allowed nine power play goals in 31 chances in their last five games.

WHY HELLO AGAIN: The RoadRunners re-acquired defenseman Taylor Christie along with defenseman Tom Sawatske from the Dayton Bombers after the trade for Ryan Reid was voided Wednesday by the ECHL after Reid failed a mandatory entrance physical. Christie, 25, currently leads all Bombers defensemen with five goals and ranks second among Dayton blue-liners with 20 points through 41 games. A member of the inaugural 2005-06 RoadRunners' roster, Christie compiled totals of three goals, 11 points, and 88 penalty minutes in 69 games in his first stint with Phoenix. Sawatske, 24, notched two goals and five points in 39 games with the Bombers. The rookie from Duluth, Minn. was an alternate captain in 2006-07 at Notre Dame University, and led the Fighting Irish to their first ever Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season and playoff championship following a record-breaking 31-6-3 campaign. Sawatske transferred to Notre Dame after playing two seasons at the University of Wisconsin from 2002-04. He registered 10 goals, 26 points, and 131 penalty minutes in 127 career collegiate games. Christie and Sawatske are each expected to make their RoadRunners' debuts Wednesday at Idaho.

MILESTONES ON DECK: Forward Ryan Walsh is 12 games short of 100 for his professional career...Defenseman Ian Turner is 13 points shy of 100 for his career...Center Daniel Sisca is 14 games away from 200 for his career and 18 points shy of the 200 plateau...Forward Nathan Gillies is three games away from 300 for his career...Forward Jeff Smith is seven games shy of 300 for his career...Defenseman Reagan Rome suited up in his 360th career game Thursday.

NEWS & NOTES: Reagan Rome enjoyed his first multi-goal game of the season with a two-goal effort Tuesday...Defenseman Bryan Nathe scored his first goal of the season Tuesday, and his first goal since March 7, 2007 while skating for the Johnstown Chiefs...Peder Skinner is tied for 13th in the ECHL rookie scoring race with Bakersfield's Mark Derlago, Utah's Keith Johnson, and Texas' Scott Champagne...Forward Sean O'Connor has missed the last nine games due to injury.

FACE-OFF AGAINST KIDS CANCER AN EARLY SUCCESS: The Phoenix RoadRunners' second "Face-Off Against Kids Cancer" got off to a rousing start with the kick-off event Monday at Phoenix Children's Hospital and a trip to the Phoenix Zoo Saturday.

"Face-Off Against Kids Cancer" is a program that will pair RoadRunners' players with 20 children from across Arizona who suffer from pediatric cancer. For the next two months, the players and children will participate in a series of four social events with the hopes of creating a lasting relationship and increased awareness about childhood cancer in the community.

The "Face-Off Against Kids Cancer" will culminate at 7:11 p.m. Friday, March 14 when the RoadRunners take the ice against the Victoria Salmon Kings wearing special commemorative jerseys dedicated to those Phoenix Children's patients participating in the program. These jerseys will be auctioned off immediately after the game with the proceeds benefiting the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Phoenix Children's Hospital and Caps For Kids, a national non-profit organization which provides hats autographed by athletes and celebrities to children who lose their hair due to the effects of chemotherapy.

The next "Face-Off Against Kids Cancer" event is Sunday, March 2 with a post-game locker room tour and special skate with the players following the RoadRunners game against the Alaska Aces.

WATCH THE 'RUNNERS LIVE IN '07-08: The RoadRunners have teamed up with B2 Networks to bring you live action of Phoenix RoadRunners hockey in 2007-08. 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 36 RoadRunners home broadcasts will be available in addition to over 25 road games in Alaska, Idaho, Las Vegas, Stockton, Utah, and Bakersfield. A cable or DSL Internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 are required to view the games.

UP NEXT: The RoadRunners visit Qwest Arena and the Idaho Steelheads for a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Catch the action Friday and Saturday 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 2007-08 season of Phoenix RoadRunners Hockey are available by calling (602) 462-GOAL.

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