AHL Tucson Roadrunners

Roadrunners Rally Late Past Bakersfield

February 1, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Tucson Roadrunners News Release


Tucson Roadrunners' Austin Poganski, Steven Kampfer, Jan Jenik, and Justin Kirkland on game night
Tucson Roadrunners' Austin Poganski, Steven Kampfer, Jan Jenik, and Justin Kirkland on game night
(Tucson Roadrunners, Credit: Bakersfield Condors)

BAKERSFIELD, CA - If you like your beers cold and your hockey teams adding two points to the standings, than this was the night for you as the Tucson Roadrunners defeated the Bakersfield Condors 3-2 on Wednesday night to improve to 26-13-1-1 on the year from Bakersfield, CA.

A quiet start to the Tucson Roadrunners and Bakersfield Condors game couldn't have been further from the energy of the Tucson Roadrunners fans at the watch party at Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers in Oro Valley. As Colin Theisen received a pass from Josh Doan and Lleyton Moore at the 16:24 mark of the first period and ripped it past the Bakersfield netminder, the faithful fans erupted and cheers'd their beers as Tucson took a 1-0 lead. Josh Doan picked up his 12th assist and Theisen scored for the second consecutive game since being recalled to Tucson from the ECHL's Toledo Walleye. Despite being 0/3 on the power-play, Tucson outshot Bakersfield 13-10 in the frame and goalie Matthew Villalta was perfect, saving all 10 shots he faced.

The script turned on its head in the second period as Tucson was outshot 15-9 and had three minor penalties against, the opposite of the first period. Bakersfield answered the first period Colin Theisen snipe with a goal of their own on the power-play. The game was knotted up 1-1 for just under 10 minutes of play before the Condors would score an even strength goal in the final 30 seconds of the second period. Despite allowing two Bakersfield goals, Matthew Villalta was fantastic in the second frame, saving 13 shots on three separate Condor's power-plays.

Tucson trailed for what felt like an eternity before Nathan Smith put the Bakersfield goalie into a blender and ripped the puck into the back of the net. It was at the 12:23 mark that Smith scored, tying the game 2-2. It was Smith's fifth goal of the season, and he was assisted by Jan Jenik and Steven Kampfer on the power-play. Just one minute and six seconds after tying the game, Tucson would take the lead. Jan Jenik would score an even-strength goal assisted by Steven Kampfer and Austin Poganski. The second assist of the night for Kampfer marked his first game this season with multiple points. Jenik tallied his 10th goal of the year, perhaps none bigger than tonight's as the Roadrunners would hold on to the 3-2 lead and defeat Bakersfield.

"That's a really good hockey team over there so for us to come in and get a gritty win was huge. After we scored that goal, they (Bakersfield) had a good push and it was a good answer back from us," said Forward Nathan Smith after Tucson's 3-2 win on Wednesday night.

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Images from this story

Tucson Roadrunners' Austin Poganski, Steven Kampfer, Jan Jenik, and Justin Kirkland on game night
Tucson Roadrunners' Austin Poganski, Steven Kampfer, Jan Jenik, and Justin Kirkland on game night
(Bakersfield Condors)		   



American Hockey League Stories from February 1, 2024


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