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AHL Tucson Roadrunners

Roadrunners Record Three-Goal Second Period in 5-3 Loss to Milwaukee Saturday

March 11, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Tucson Roadrunners News Release


Tucson Roadrunners' Steven Kampfer on game night
Tucson Roadrunners' Steven Kampfer on game night
(Tucson Roadrunners, Credit: Milwaukee Admirals)

Tucson, Arizona - The Tucson Roadrunners closed out the weekend series against the Admirals from Milwaukee with a 5-3 loss on Saturday at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. The Roadrunners tallied a three-goal second period to overcome a 3-0 deficit with a pair of goals from Colin Theisen that was started by Milos Kelemen's 14th score of the season. Tyler Parks was in net for Tucson for the second-straight night and made 18 saves, as the Roadrunners outshot the Admirals 35 to 23 with 20 shots in the middle frame. Tucson will return home for their fourth consecutive practice week before kicking off a four-game home stand on Friday, March 17, with the first of two matchups against the Calgary Wranglers at the Tucson Arena.

The opening 10:46 of Saturday's series finale from Milwaukee was without a goal before Admirals defenseman Kevin Gravel found the back of the net to put the home team on top 1-0 for the second-straight night. Admirals' forwards Austin Rueschhoff and Zach Sanford followed up Gravel with a pair of quick goals to give Milwaukee a 3-0 lead within a span of 2:05 after getting the scoring started. The remainder of the first period was without another goal, with Tucson narrowly outshot by the Admirals eight to seven through 20 minutes of play from Milwaukee. Both teams were perfect on the penalty-kill in the first, with the Roadrunners taking one trip to the man-advantage and the Admirals taking two. Trailing by three, the Roadrunners came out strong out in the middle period with each of the first seven shots on goal, matching their total from the opening frame within the first 3:07. Defenseman Michael Kesselring gave Tucson a spark when he dropped the gloves with Milwaukee's Navrin Mutter for the 23-year-old's third fight of the season and first bout since joining the Roadrunners at the NHL Trade Deadline. Tucson's persistence on offense paid off when Milos Kelemen put the Roadrunners on the board with 7:25 still remaining the period, scoring his 14th goal of the season with assists from Will Reilly and Nathan Smith. Colin Theisen pulled the Roadrunners even with the Admirals for the first time since the opening 10:46 of the contest with back-to-back goals just 2:14 apart from each other and 1:12 after Kelemen's goal, turning a 3-0 deficit into a 3-3 game in the span of three minutes and 26 seconds. Tucson had answered Milwaukee's three-goal first period with a three-goal frame of their own, sending the Roadrunners to the third period tied with their opponent for the fourth consecutive game. The Admirals retook the lead early in the final frame with a power-play goal scored by defenseman Jordan Gross on the man-advantage for the first special-teams tally of the contest with 3:14 gone by in the period. Tucson continued to battle in the third, pulling goaltender Tyler Parks with 1:46 left in regulation for a six-on-five advantage. A late tripping penalty on Mike Carcone and an ensuing power-play goal by Milwaukee with 1:12 still on the clock ended the Roadrunners attempt at a comeback, as the Admirals took the series finale on their home ice by a final score of 5-3. Tucson forward Boko Imama capped off the weekend series from Milwaukee after the late goal with a fight in the final four seconds of regulation against Admirals forward Anthony Angello for Imama's fifth bout of the year.

Tucson forward Colin Theisen described the Roadrunners overcoming an early 3-0 deficit on Saturday to even the score at 3-3 with a three-goal second period. Two of Tucson's three goals in the middle frame were scored 2:14 apart by Theisen:

"I liked the resilience out of our group down 3-0 after the first period. I thought we battled back and the effort was there, but unfortunately, we didn't get the bounces. We'll be back at it next weekend."

TAKE TWO FOR THEISEN - Roadrunners forward Colin Theisen tallied a pair of goals within 2:14 of each other in Saturday's second period for the 25-year-old's first professional multi-goal game. The performance marked Theisen's fourth multiple-point outing since joining the Roadrunners from Arizona State University in March of 2022, as the second year forward has netted three goals over his last three appearances.

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Images from this story

Tucson Roadrunners' Steven Kampfer on game night
Tucson Roadrunners' Steven Kampfer on game night
(Milwaukee Admirals)		   

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