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Tucson Roadrunners

Roadrunners Take Shootout Point in Henderson

March 2, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Tucson Roadrunners News Release


Tucson Roadrunners' Captain Steven Kampfer, Justin Kirkland, Aku Raty, Josh Doan, and Jan Jenik on game night
Tucson Roadrunners' Captain Steven Kampfer, Justin Kirkland, Aku Raty, Josh Doan, and Jan Jenik on game night
(Tucson Roadrunners, Credit: Zak Krill, Henderson Silver Knights)

HENDERSON, NV - Both sides revealed a three-of-a-kind to the dealer before a late matching fourth card was turned for the home team as Tucson fell 4-3 in a shootout to Henderson Friday night to fall to 29-18-2-2 on the year from the Dollar Loan Center.

In a turn of events from the previous couple of games against Bakersfield, Tucson would score first, early in the first period, and take the 1-0 lead from the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, NV. This time it would be Josh Doan, Tucson's leading scorer, ripping his 22nd of the year into the back of the net just 1:10 into the game. It was the fastest goal of the year to start a game for the Roadrunners and silenced the Henderson faithful early. Doan was assisted by Colin Theisen and Max Szuber. The Silver Knights would respond with a power-play goal just past the halfway point in the period. Then, to bookend the first frame with Tucson goals, defenseman Max Szuber would find the back of the net and score Tucson's second goal of the contest and pick up his second point of the period.

Henderson would need less than two minutes in the second period to score a goal of their own and tie things up 2-2. The score would remain knotted up for most of the frame before Aku Raty, Tucson's second leading scorer, would do what he does best and light the lamp for the Roadrunners. Raty was assisted by Captain Steven Kampfer and Jan Jenik. Raty now has a three-game point streak and has four points in his last three games for Tucson. It was a power-play goal for Raty.

The final frame of regulation was even in shots, 6-6, but the arrow pointed to Henderson in the scoring category 1-0. A goal at the 11:20 mark of the third would tie things up 3-3 for the rest of regulation. Each side would go 0-1 on the power-play in the final frame but the horn would blow at 3-3 and it was time for some free hockey in Henderson.

No overtime goal was scored, in large part thanks to Tucson netminder Matthew Villalta, who had three saves in the 3-on-3 overtime period. The shootout would be tied at the end of three skaters, with Josh Doan scoring and Matthew Villalta making two saves. In the final two shooters for each side only a Henderson player would score, giving the Silver Knights the two-points and a 4-3 victory.

"I thought that was a step in the right direction from a previous few games. Special teams was big and we're going to get out of this little slump that we're in. Today, we did a lot of the right things, the Tucson way, and took that right step," said Forward Austin Poganski following Tucson's 4-3 shootout loss on Friday night.

Check out the Tucson Roadrunners Statistics




Images from this story

Tucson Roadrunners' Captain Steven Kampfer, Justin Kirkland, Aku Raty, Josh Doan, and Jan Jenik on game night
Tucson Roadrunners' Captain Steven Kampfer, Justin Kirkland, Aku Raty, Josh Doan, and Jan Jenik on game night
(Zak Krill, Henderson Silver Knights)		   

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