
Roadrunners Shut Out by Stars, Split Series in Texas
January 4, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Tucson Roadrunners News Release

Texas Stars' Jack Becke battles Tucson Roadrunners' Cameron Hebig
(Tucson Roadrunners, Credit: Andy Nietupski/TTL Sports Media)
Cedar Park, TX - The Tucson Roadrunners (17-12-1-0) split their series against the Texas Stars (18-12-1-0) following a 5-0 loss on Saturday at the H-E-B Center.
The Stars struck twice in a 1:47 span late in the first period and added two power-play goals in the second to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Texas notched their third power-play goal early in the third to seal the victory.
The defeat marked just the second time Tucson has been shut out this season and snapped their three-game road winning streak.
THE RUNDOWN
First Period The Roadrunners started strong and dominated possession and scoring chances early in the game. Tucson had the first five shots on goal in the opening 90 seconds of play, and their aggressive offense was backed by solid defensive play. The backend held the Stars without a shot for the first six and a half minutes. However, Texas gained momentum midway through the period and took control with a flurry of five straight shots.
The Stars continued to push and broke the scoreless tie with 4:38 left in the period. Chase Wheatcroft intercepted a deflected Tucson breakout pass and faked a wraparound before finding Curtis McKenzie above the crease for a one-timer to make it 1-0. Less than two minutes later, Texas doubled their lead when Kyle McDonald fired a tough-angle shot past Matthew Villalta, putting the Stars up 2-0.
Tucson pushed back late in the period with near goals from Artem Duda and Andrew Agozzino. Duda's point shot through traffic was denied by Texas goaltender Remi Poirier, and Agozzino's one-timer and subsequent rebound attempt off the post narrowly missed cutting the deficit in half.
In the closing seconds, Hunter Drew tallied in his third fight of the season, taking on Texas' Jack Becker in an evenly matched bout that capped a tightly contested first period that was closer than the score indicated.
Second Period The Roadrunners faced an uphill battle early in the second period as Agozzino joined Drew in the penalty box for slashing, granting Texas the game's first power play. The Stars capitalized late in the man advantage when defenseman Gavin White fired a point shot, and forward Emilio Pettersen buried the rebound to extend the lead to 3-0.
Despite the early setback, Villalta stepped up with a big kick save on a dangerous attempt by Texas' Antonio Stranges to keep the deficit from growing. However, Tucson's penalty troubles continued with back-to-back slashing calls, giving the Stars consecutive power plays, including a brief five-on-three. The Roadrunners killed the first penalty, but Matej Blümel scored moments later to make it 4-0 at 8:32.
Tucson pushed for a response in the latter half of the frame after earning two power plays of their own. Despite creating quality chances, the Roadrunners were plagued by bad luck as Josh Doan's slapshot from the slot was saved, and both Agozzino and Egor Sokolov rang consecutive rebound attempts off the post. Unable to convert, Tucson entered the second intermission down 4-0 after being outshot 15-8 in the period.
Third Period For the second straight period, penalty trouble derailed the Roadrunners' efforts as they were called for two consecutive infractions, handing Texas back-to-back power plays and a nearly minute-long five-on-three opportunity. The Stars took advantage, and defenseman Gavin White blasted a shot from the point to extend the lead to 5-0 just five minutes into the third.
The penalties prevented Tucson from finding any rhythm offensively, leaving them with just one shot on goal through the first half of the period. A delay of game penalty against the Stars' goaltender offered the Roadrunners a chance to regroup. On the ensuing power play, Agozzino unleashed a one-timer from below the right faceoff circle, but Texas effectively kept Tucson's chances to the perimeter and successfully killed the penalty.
Both teams managed just four shots on goal apiece in the final frame, as Texas' defensive effort stifled any hopes of a Roadrunners comeback, and the Stars secured the 5-0 win.
The Roadrunners will visit the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena on Wednesday for the third game of their seven-game road trip. The action begins at 8 p.m. MST and will be streamed live on AHLTV on FloHockey.
Images from this story
![]() Texas Stars' Jack Becke battles Tucson Roadrunners' Cameron Hebig (Andy Nietupski/TTL Sports Media) |
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from January 4, 2025
- Firebirds Hold on to Defeat Reign for First Win of 2025 - Coachella Valley Firebirds
- Reign Downed by Firebirds - AHL
- Eagles Score Four Unanswered to Stun San Jose, 4-2 - Colorado Eagles
- Stars Blank Roadrunners 5-0 for First Win of 2025 - Texas Stars
- Roadrunners Shut Out by Stars, Split Series in Texas - Tucson Roadrunners
- Bears Ring In New Year With 4-3 Shootout Win Over Bruins - Hershey Bears
- Early Goals Halt Griffins in 2-1 Setback - Grand Rapids Griffins
- IceHogs Shut Out in Rosemont 4-0 - Rockford IceHogs
- Wolves Blank IceHogs 4-0 for Third Win in Row - Chicago Wolves
- Bongiovanni's Hat Trick Propels Sens to 7-2 Blowout in Utica - Belleville Senators
- Murray, Admirals Stifle Griffins - Milwaukee Admirals
- P-Bruins Battle Back for Point in Shootout Loss to Bears - Providence Bruins
- Amerks Score Six in Sixth Straight Win - Rochester Americans
- Abbotsford Canucks Fall 6-2 In A Battle Against The Laval Rocket - Abbotsford Canucks
- Crunch Downed by Phantoms, 3-2, in Overtime - Syracuse Crunch
- Larsson Posts Fourth Shutout in Penguins' 5-0 Win - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Comets Drop Home Game to Senators, 7-2 - Utica Comets
- Wolf Pack Blanked 5-0 by Penguins - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Jobst Returns to Lead Americans over Islanders - Bridgeport Islanders
- Monsters Outmaneuver Marlies in 3-1 Victory - Cleveland Monsters
- LA Kings Loan Forward Andre Lee to Ontario - Ontario Reign
- Wolf Pack Open New Year vs. Penguins - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Game Preview: Bears vs. Bruins, 7 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Preview: Islanders vs. Americans - Bridgeport Islanders
- IceHogs Open 2025 against the Wolves - Rockford IceHogs
- Reign Top Gulls, 4-1 - Ontario Reign
- Game #30 Preview: Tucson Roadrunners (17-11-1-0) vs Texas Stars (17-12-1-0) - Tucson Roadrunners
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Tucson Roadrunners Stories
- Roadrunners' Rally Falls Short in 4-3 Loss to Wranglers
- Game #66 Preview: Tucson Roadrunners (31-29-3-2) vs Calgary Wranglers (32-26-4-3)
- Tucson Climbs into Playoff Spot with 3-2 Win over Calgary
- Game #65 Preview: Tucson Roadrunners (30-29-3-2) vs Calgary Wranglers (32-25-4-3)
- Roadrunners Celebrate Cameron Hebig's Record with Commemorative T-Shirts on April 5

