McCartney Matches Franchise Record in 15-Goal Thriller, Roadrunners Fall 8-7 in OT

Roadrunners Recap: 12/13/2025

Game #24: Tucson Roadrunners (7) vs Bakersfield Condors (8) OT

SOG: TUC (27) – BAK (37)

PP: TUC (0/4) – BAK (3/4)

BAKERSFIELD SCORING: Arto Leppanen (2), Quinn Hutson (15,16), Viljami Marjala (6,7), Daniel D’Amato (3), Matvey Petrov (2), Isaac Howard (6) GWG
TUCSON SCORING: Owen Allard (3), Ty Tullio (3,4), Scott Perunovich (2), Ben McCartney (9,10), Cameron Hebig (13)

Tucson, AZ – Ben McCartney and Ty Tullio each scored twice, rookie Dmitri Simashev recorded three points and rookie Owen Allard netted the Teddy Bear Toss goal, but the Tucson Roadrunners (10-10-4-0) fell 8-7 in overtime to the Bakersfield Condors (11-8-5-0) on Saturday night at Tucson Arena.

The game featured 15 combined goals, including a seven-goal second period and four more in the third. Cameron Hebig scored for the third consecutive game, while defenseman Scott Perunovich found the back of the net for the second straight night.

Five Roadrunners recorded multi-point performances. McCartney led the way with a career-high five points (2g, 3a), matching the franchise record for points in a single game. Tullio and Simashev each posted three-point nights.

Hebig added an assist for a two-point outing, and Ryan McGregor collected two assists for his first multi-point performance of the season.

Allard opened the scoring with his third goal of the season to send a rain of teddy bears onto the ice moments into the contest. Bakersfield answered midway through the period, but Tullio restored Tucson’s lead with his first of two goals at 17:25 of the opening frame.

The second period turned into a track meet. Tullio struck again early, and Perunovich followed with his second goal in as many games at 8:29 to give Tucson a 4-2 advantage. The Condors responded with three unanswered goals over a five-minute span, before McCartney tied the game at 6-6 near the 15-minute mark to cap a wild second period.

In the third, Tucson erased two separate one-goal deficits, with goals from McCartney and Hebig, to force overtime.

Bakersfield ultimately sealed the win when Isaac Howard capitalized on a power play with 52.7 seconds remaining in overtime.

Despite the loss, Tucson earned a point for the fourth straight game and remains one point back of the eighth-place Henderson Silver Knights and two behind the seventh-place San Diego Gulls for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

NOTABLES

• Ben McCartney is the first Roadrunner to record five points in a game since Matias Maccelli on Nov. 12, 2021 vs Ontario. He’s also the fifth Roadrunner to ever record five points in a single game in franchise history.
• The 15 combined goals set a new franchise record for goals in a game, surpassing the previous high of 13 on April 9, 2021 at San Diego.
• Owen Allard’s game-opening goal marked the fastest Teddy Bear Toss goal in franchise history, surpassing the previous mark of 4:45 into the first period set by Zbyněk Michálek during Tucson’s inaugural season in 2016.
• Scott Perunovich extended his point streak to three games, with five points (2g, 3a) over that span. He ranks sixth in assists (14) and is tied for ninth in points (16) among all AHL defensemen.
• Ben McCartney extended his point streak to four games, totaling 10 points (4g, 6a) over that span.
• McCartney has also recorded multi-point games in three straight contests dating back to Dec. 6 at San Jose, with nine points (3g, 6a) in that stretch.
• Cameron Hebig pushed his point streak to four games, recording seven points (5g, 2a) during that span.
• Dmitri Simashev extended his point streak to three games, totaling five points (1g, 4a) over that span. Saturday was his first career multi-point night in the AHL in his fifth game.

THE RUNDOWN

FIRST PERIOD
Tucson dodged an early bullet just over a minute into the contest when a turnover sent Bakersfield forward Quinn Hutson in alone on a partial breakaway, but Roadrunners goaltender Jaxson Stauber turned him aside to keep the game scoreless.

Moments later, the Roadrunners capitalized. Rookie Owen Allard opened the scoring at 2:12 on Tucson’s first shot of the game, snapping a low shot through the five-hole of Bakersfield netminder Connor Ingram to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead. The goal triggered the annual Teddy Bear Toss, as stuffed animals rained down onto the ice.

Bakersfield controlled much of the pace through the opening five minutes following the delay, while the physical tone from Friday night’s matchup carried over with both teams finishing checks throughout the neutral zone, including a heavy hit from Tucson defenseman Lleyton Moore.

The Condors tied the game just before the midway point of the period when defenseman Arto Leppänen blasted a point shot off a feed from Seth Griffith at the left circle that beat Stauber glove side to make it 1-1.

Tucson answered late in the frame. With under two minutes remaining, Tullio redirected a puck from the low circle that floated over Ingram and into the net, restoring the Roadrunners’ lead and sending Tucson into the first intermission ahead 2-1.

SECOND PERIOD
The teams erupted for seven combined goals in a wide-open second period.

Bakersfield tied the game just 1:28 into the frame when Hutson finished off a two-on-one rush, converting a no-look backhand feed from Isaac Howard to make it 2-2.

The Roadrunners responded immediately. Just over a minute later, Tullio struck again, firing a shot from the right circle that Ingram initially stopped with the blocker before the puck deflected off Condors forward Daniel D’Amato and into the net for a 3-2 Tucson lead.

Tucson extended its advantage when Perunovich jumped into the play and finished off a netfront scramble, taking a touch pass from Sammy Walker and chipping the puck over Ingram’s right pad to make it 4-2.

The momentum swung once more as Bakersfield scored twice in quick succession to erase the deficit and take a one-goal lead with just over five minutes remaining in the period.

Tucson answered late. McCartney tied the game at 5-5, burying a rebound with his backhand following McGregor’s shot from the top of the circle with 4:39 remaining.

THIRD PERIOD
Six minutes into the period, Bakersfield’s Matvey Petrov snapped a shot from the slot that slipped past Jaxson Stauber to restore the visitors’ lead.

McCartney answered for Tucson, scoring his second goal of the night to tie the game once again by chipping a shot over Ingram’s glove.

The Condors responded on the power play as Hutson tallied his second of the game, wiring a shot from the left circle over Stauber’s right shoulder to give Bakersfield a 7-6 advantage.

Hebig tied the game at seven with 6:00 remaining, finishing a net-front scramble created by Austin Poganski for the 14th goal of the night between the two clubs.

OVERTIME
The Roadrunners generated the first two grade-A chances in the opening three minutes of the extra frame, but Tucson’s hopes of securing its first sweep of the season were dashed when Howard scored the game-winner for Bakersfield with 52.7 seconds remaining in overtime.

UP NEXT
The Roadrunners head north of the border for a two-game set against the Abbotsford Canucks at Rogers Forum on Friday and Saturday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. AZT on Friday and 3 p.m. AZT on Saturday. Fans can listen live on FOX Sports 1450 AM and the iHeartRadio app and watch on AHLtv on FloHockey.

HIGHLIGHTS