Game #42: Tucson Roadrunners (4) @ San Jose Barracuda (3)
Game #42: Tucson Roadrunners (4) at San Jose Barracuda (3)
SOG: TUC (34) – SJ (29)
PP: TUC (2/6) – SJ (1/4)
SAN JOSE SCORING: Thomas Bordeleau (8), Pavol Regenda (5), Brandon Coe (3)
TUCSON SCORING: Robbie Russo (1), Sammy Walker (3, 4), Austin Poganski (10)
Walker’s Four-Point Debut Propels Roadrunners to 4-3 Comeback Victory Over Barracuda
San Jose, CA – Sammy Walker made an immediate impact in his Tucson Roadrunners (20-19-2-1) debut, recording two goals and two assists to lead the Roadrunners to a 4-3 comeback win over the San Jose Barracuda (23-14-2-3) on Friday night at Tech CU Arena. Walker, acquired earlier this week from the Iowa Wild, became the first Roadrunner to notch four points in a game this season.
For the second straight game, Tucson erased a multi-goal deficit. San Jose built a 2-0 lead in the second period behind goals from Thomas Bordeleau and Pavol Regenda. Undeterred, the Roadrunners stormed back with two power-play goals in a 30-second span late in the frame. Robbie Russo got Tucson on the board with his first goal of the season before Walker netted the equalizer.
The Roadrunners carried that momentum into the third period, taking the lead just 16 seconds in when captain Austin Poganski one-timed a pass from Walker in the slot to make it 3-2. The Barracuda answered at 3:42, as Brandon Coe cleaned up a rebound to tie the game.
Tucson responded again midway through the period, and it was Walker delivering the go-ahead goal. Curtis Douglas forced a turnover in the defensive zone and carried the puck up ice before threading a centering feed that Walker redirected past San Jose netminder Yaroslav Askarov to put the Roadrunners ahead 4-3 at 9:07.
Roadrunners goalie Jaxson Stauber made 26 saves to secure his seventh win of the season.
The victory snapped Tucson’s eight-game winless streak and got their season-high seven-game road trip off to a strong start. With the seventh-place Bakersfield Condors falling 4-3 in overtime to the Chicago Wolves, the Roadrunners moved within two points of the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Walker contributed to all four goals in Tucson’s comeback victory. In his first game since being acquired from the Iowa Wild earlier this week, Walker assisted on Robbie Russo’s power-play goal that got the Roadrunners on the board, then buried one himself just 30 seconds later—again on the man advantage—to tie the game 2-2. He wasn’t done there. Walker added an assist on Austin Poganski’s early third-period goal before netting the go-ahead tally midway through the final frame. With four points (2G, 2A), he became the first Roadrunner this season to record a four-point game—securing the game-winning goal in the process. Now that’s how you make a first impression.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Austin Poganski opened the third period with a goal just 16 seconds in, the fastest the Roadrunners have scored to start a period this season. The previous mark was 41 seconds, set by Egor Sokolov in the season opener on Oct. 11 against the Colorado Eagles. Poganski’s goal gave Tucson its first lead of the night and completed a comeback from a 2-0 deficit.
THEY SAID IT
“Just hearing from the team about where they were before this game, and to be able to help get that win, it’s awesome and I’m just I’m happy I can contribute.”
Roadrunners forward Sammy Walker on helping Tucson snap the losing streak
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST PERIOD
Tucson wasted no time applying pressure, drawing a high-sticking penalty just eight seconds into the game. On the ensuing power play, Kailer Yamamoto fired a shot from the high slot, forcing Askarov into making stellar glove save on Maveric Lamoureux’s rebound attempt near the crease.
San Jose successfully killed off the early penalty and soon earned a power play of their own. While shorthanded, Aku Räty chipped the puck out of the zone and quickly regained possession, carrying it across the ice before setting up Yamamoto in front. However, Askarov was up to the task again, turning aside the one-time attempt.
Nearly nine minutes into the frame, tempers flared as former Barracuda Montana Onyebuchi squared off against San Jose’s Scott Sabourin in a spirited bout at center ice. The two heavyweights exchanged blows in a lengthy scrap before tapping each other on the chest in a show of respect. It marked Onyebuchi’s team-leading sixth fight of the season.
Tucson went back on the power play late in the period after Joey Keane was assessed a double minor for high-sticking Ben McCartney. The Roadrunners came inches away from capitalizing when Lamoureux blasted a one-timer from the left circle that rang off the post. A post-whistle scrum followed, sending Yamamoto and San Jose’s Anthony Vincent to the box for roughing and creating a brief four-on-three opportunity for Tucson.
Despite strong puck movement and sustained pressure, the Roadrunners couldn’t break through on the extended man advantage. However, Tucson outshot San Jose 13-7 in the period, dictated play, and generated more scoring opportunities.
SECOND PERIOD
San Jose struck first less than two minutes into the middle frame. Bordeleau crashed the crease and fired a quick shot that was blocked, but he stayed with the play and buried his own rebound past Stauber, giving the Barracuda a 1-0 lead at 1:55.
Tucson earned another power-play opportunity five and a half minutes into the period when Keane was called for holding while trying to defend Räty along the boards. Keane was also handed a 10-minute misconduct for abuse of an official, but the Roadrunners’ man advantage was short-lived as Walker was whistled for holding just 43 seconds later.
San Jose took advantage of their abbreviated power play once Keane’s penalty expired. Regenda capitalized on a rebound off a Luca Cagnoni shot from the corner, stuffing it past Stauber to extend the Barracuda lead to 2-0 at 7:55.
The Roadrunners responded with a strong push late in the period, led by the line of McCartney, Cameron Hebig, and Räty. The trio controlled possession deep in the Barracuda zone, setting up quality chances for Lamoureux and Max Szuber at the point. McCartney nearly got Tucson on the board with a rebound attempt, but Askarov made a sprawling save to preserve San Jose’s two-goal cushion.
Tucson’s persistence paid off when they went on the power play with 3:33 remaining after Bordeleau was sent to the box for holding. On the man advantage, McCartney dropped the puck back to Russo at the point, and Russo wasted no time snapping a shot through traffic, sneaking it past Askarov to cut the deficit to 2-1 with 2:51 left.
The momentum continued to swing in Tucson’s favor as Danil Gushchin took a penalty moments later, putting the Roadrunners right back on the power play. Walker made San Jose pay, scoring Tucson’s second power-play goal in a 30-second span to tie the game 2-2 with 2:21 remaining in the period.
THIRD PERIOD
The Roadrunners carried their late second-period momentum into the final frame, striking just 16 seconds in to take their first lead of the night. Austin Poganski took a feed from Sammy Walker and went bar down to beat Askarov, making it 3-2. The goal set a new season mark for Tucson, as it was the fastest goal they’ve scored to start a period this season.
San Jose answered back just over two minutes later to even the score. Lucas Vanroboys fired a shot from the boards that took a sharp bounce toward the crease, where Brandon Coe was waiting to tap in the rebound past Stauber, tying the game at 3-3 at 3:42.
Tucson regained the lead midway through the period, and once again, it was Walker at the center of it. The newly acquired forward netted his second goal of the night, deflecting a centering feed from Douglas past Askarov at 9:07 to put the Roadrunners up 4-3. Douglas made the play happen with an impressive solo effort—intercepting a pass in Tucson’s defensive zone before racing up the ice. Despite being hounded by San Jose defenseman Lukas Carlsson, Douglas maintained control, curled back near the right circle, and snapped a pass toward the net, where Walker was perfectly positioned to redirect it home.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will wrap up their two-game set against the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday afternoon at Tech CU Arena. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m. MST. Fans can catch all the action live on AHLTV on FloHockey.
