Game #65: Tucson Roadrunners (1) vs Bakersfield Condors (4)
Game #65: Tucson Roadrunners vs Bakersfield Condors
SOG: TUC (41) – BAK (34)
PP: TUC (0/6) – BAK (0/4)
BAKERSFIELD SCORING: Max Wanner (6), Carter Savoie (8), Ben Gleason (10), Seth Griffith (14)
TUCSON SCORING: Max Szuber (6)
Where is he? Usually on the blue line or on the odd-man rush in Bakersfield scoring goals. Goal number six of the season for Tucson Roadrunners defenseman Max Szuber was a beauty, scoring in the second period of Wednesday’s night’s game. Colin Theisen fed Szuber who would bury the puck and not think twice about it. Szuber, the 2022 Arizona Coyotes 6th round pick, has 23 points in his first season with the Roadrunners.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
SHOOTERS SHOOT – Wednesday marked the second consecutive game in which the Tucson Roadrunners recorded 41 shots against Bakersfield and the fifth time this year the team has had over 40 shots in a game. The Roadrunners outshot the Condors in six of the eight games played against each other this season. Tucson outshot Bakersfield 167-102 in the final four games of the season. It is safe to say the the Roadrunners have shooters and those shooters shoot.
LOOK AT THIS
Defenseman Max Szuber records his sixth goal of the season seen here from the bird’s eye view. A picture that could be hung in museums everywhere, showing off the skill of the Roadrunners defenseman. The second period goal would be Tucson’s only goal of the contest despite their 41 shots on goal.
THEY SAID IT
“We had some missed opportunities, there is no doubt. We had some time that we started to fight back and take over the shot count, but I didn’t think we got enough shots through on the power-play. We’ve got to move the puck quicker and simplify. We have some details that we need to iron out and be good at from here on out. Anchor our thoughts to details,”
Steve Potvin following Tucson’s 4-1 loss to Bakersfield on Wednesday evening.
THE RUNDOWN
Just 2:18 into the game Bakersfield would break the 0-0 tie and score their first goal of the evening. The Roadrunners had not yet recorded a shot on goal by the time the Condors added a second goal and took the 2-0 lead. Just before the second Condors goal, Hunter Drew would drop the gloves and swing the momentum in Tucson’s favor. Following the Drew tilt, the Roadrunners would record eight shots on goal before the Condors would get another attempt. It was unsuccessful, however, as the Condors would take the 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
Bakersfield would score in the second, similarly to the first period, within the first four and a half minutes. With a 3-0 deficit in front of them the Roadrunners would respond at the 16:56 mark of the second. It would be Max Szuber on the odd-man rush burying a shot to cut the Condors lead to two. Szuber, who scored his sixth goal of the year, was assisted by Colin Theisen and Nathan Smith. It was assist number nine for Theisen and 19 for Smith. Tucson would outshoot the Condors 19-11 in the frame and 41-34 in the contest.
The final frame was a back-and-forth battle for the first 17:04 before Tucson goaltender Matthew Villalta, would be pulled in the comeback attempt for an extra-attacker. Bakersfield would add an empty-net goal to take the 4-1 lead. Villalta would end the night with 30 saves. Ben McCartney would drop the gloves late, and similarly to Drew’s first period tilt, swing the momentum to Tucson but the Roadrunners would fall by a final score of 4-1.
