Game #40: Tucson Roadrunners (5) vs Ontario Reign (4)

Roadrunners Recap: 1/27/2024

Game #40: Tucson Roadrunners vs Ontario Reign

SOG: TUC (33) –ONT (29)

PP: TUC (1/2) – ONT (0/1)

ONTARIO SCORING: Akil Thomas (15), Charles Hudon (15), Samuel Helenius (6,7)

TUCSON SCORING:  Cameron Hebig (7), Milos Kelemen (9, 10), Colin Theisen (2), Josh Doan (16)

ROADRUNNERS DEFEAT ONTARIO REIGN 5-4 FROM THE TUCSON ARENA ON SATURDAY NIGHT

TUCSON, AZ – What time is it? Five past Ontario. The Tucson Roadrunners defeated the Ontario Reign 5-4 on Saturday night to improve to 25-13-1-1 on the year from the Tucson Arena.

Whether he is scoring goals at Arizona State University in Tempe, or for the Tucson Roadrunners at the Tucson Arena, Colin Theisen has to enjoy playing hockey in the State of Arizona. Theisen, recently recalled from the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, scored his second goal of the year for the Roadrunners in the second period of Saturday night’s contest. Theisen was assisted by former collegiate teammate and Roadrunners leading scorer Josh Doan.

DOAN’T OVERLOOK IT

WE’RE NOT SURE WHAT “IT” IS, BUT WE KNOW HE’S GOT “IT” – Josh Doan is the Tucson Roadrunners leading active point scorer through 40-games played with 27 (16 goals and 11 assists). Of Doan’s 16 goals EIGHT of them are game-winning goals. In between seven and nine, that was not a typo. Doan leads the AHL in game-winning goals and seems to have that “it” factor scoring so many clutch game-winning goals.

LOOK AT THIS

(Photo Credits: Lucas Ault, Tucson Roadrunners)

Tucson Roadrunners players celebrate a goal in the first period from Cameron Hebig in front of 4,791 screaming Tucson Roadrunners fans at the Tucson Arena. Hebig, scoring his seventh of the season, spun to his backhand side and fired one into the back of the net. Hebig has seven goals and eight assists in 30 games with the Roadrunners this season.

THEY SAID IT

“We weren’t happy with how things went last night and we needed to respond tonight. We played whistle to whistle, and it was a good win. Lots to learn and lots to grow on as we get on the road before the All-Star break.”

Forward Cameron Hebig after Tucson’s 5-4 win on Saturday night.

THE RUNDOWN

Saturday night at the Tucson Arena kicked off at the 13:46 mark when Cameron Hebig scored a back handed spin-o-rama goal off a deflection to break the 0-0 tie. Hebig, scoring his seventh of the year, was assisted by Curtis Douglas and Max Szuber. The Roadrunners would add another goal in the period just over a minute later. The 2-0 lead would come from the stick of Milos Kelemen who was assisted by Cameron Hebig and Travis Barron. Hebig recorded his second point of the night as Tucson took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

Colin Theisen, recently recalled from Toledo (ECHL), would score his second goal of the year for the Roadrunners seven and a half minutes into the second frame. This goal would give the Roadrunners a 3-0 lead as he was assisted by Ryan McGregor, and his former college teammate at Arizona State University, Josh Doan. Doan picked up his 11th assist on the play and leads the team with 27 points. Tucson would kill off a five-minute major before Ontario would answer with a goal cutting the Tucson lead to two. Milos Kelemen, who had a goal in the first period, answered the Reign’s goal with one of his own and his second of the contest. Montana Onyebuchi picked up the assist on Kelemen’s second goal as Tucson extended the lead to 4-1.

In the third period, it was Josh Doan getting the period started on the right foot for Tucson. A quick snipe past the Ontario netminder would bring the game to a 5-1 score 4:39 into the third. Doan was assisted by Ryan McGregor, who picked up his second point of the night on the Doan goal. Ontario wouldn’t go down without a fight, scoring a power-play goal at the 8:14 mark and then another two goals in a 30-second span late in the frame. The Reign brought it to a 5-4 game before Tucson would prevail and secure the two-points and a tally in the win column.