Game #53: Tucson Roadrunners (4) @ Ontario Reign (1)
Game #53: Tucson Roadrunners (4) at Ontario Reign (1)
SOG: TUC (21) – ONT (37)
PP: TUC (0/2) – ONT (0/3)
ONTARIO SCORING: Taylor Ward (10)
TUCSON SCORING: Andrew Agozzino (13), Julian Lutz (2), Montana Onyebuchi (2), Kevin Connauton (6)
Roadrunners Surge Past Reign 4-1 to Open Road Trip with Statement Win
Ontario, CA – The Tucson Roadrunners (26-22-3-2) opened their three-game road trip with a statement win, scoring four unanswered goals to defeat the Ontario Reign 4-1 on Wednesday night at Toyota Arena. The victory marked Tucson’s first against Ontario (31-18-2-1) this season and extended the team’s point streak to five games (4-0-1).
Taylor Ward gave the Reign an early lead, but the Roadrunners responded in dominant fashion. Andrew Agozzino netted his second goal in as many games to tie it late in the first period before rookie Julian Lutz and defenseman Montana Onyebuchi struck in the second to give Tucson a commanding 3-1 advantage entering the third period. Lutz’s goal stood as the game-winner, making both of his first two career AHL goals game game-winners. Kevin Connauton sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minutes.
Hunter Drew led all skaters with two assists, marking his fifth multi-point performance of the season, while goaltender Matthew Villalta was rock solid in net. The former Reign netminder turned aside 36 shots and held Ontario scoreless over the final 48:50 to secure his third straight win and 14th of the season.
With the victory, Tucson gained ground in the Pacific Division standings, and now trail sixth-place Abbotsford by just two points. The Roadrunners remain in seventh, holding the division’s final playoff spot, and maintain a two-point edge over eighth-place Bakersfield, which edged Colorado 4-3 in a shootout Wednesday.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Onyebuchi picked the top corner to beat Ontario goaltender Phoenix Copley, capping off a dominant second period for Tucson and giving the Roadrunners a two-goal cushion.
The second period has been a challenge for Tucson this season—it remains the only frame in which they’ve been outscored (42-54). But the Roadrunners have recently flipped the script and turned the middle stanza into a strength. They’ve netted multiple second-period goals in four of their last five games, outscoring opponents 9-3 in that span.
Tucson’s blue line has also been a key offensive contributor, recording 30 points (7G, 23A) over the last 12 games. For Onyebuchi, his tally marked his second goal of the season—and his first non-empty-netter. It was his first goal since Nov. 23 against Calgary, matching his total from last season. The 24-year-old now needs just one more to tie his career-high of three, set in 2022-23 with San Jose.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Wednesday marked Agozzino’s fifth game back from an injury that sidelined him for 15 games and nearly six weeks. But the Roadrunners’ alternate captain hasn’t missed a beat since rejoining the lineup on Feb. 22 against Abbotsford.
Agozzino netted the game-tying goal late in the first period, his second goal in as many games and third in his last four contests. The veteran forward now ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 13 goals in 36 games. Last season, he led San Diego with 26 goals in 72 games, and he’s scoring at an identical pace this year (.36 goals per game).
Tucson has also benefited from Agozzino’s return, posting a 4-0-1 record without a regulation loss since he rejoined the lineup.
THEY SAID IT
“It was great. Those guys (forwards Julian Lutz and Hunter Drew) are great to play with. We got to work early and got some momentum going in the second (period). We were fortunate enough to get a few big goals for the group, and we’re really happy. It’s a pleasure playing with them.”
Roadrunners rookie Sam Lipkin on playing alongside Julian Lutz and Hunter Drew
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST PERIOD
Looking to snap a 10-day scoring drought, the Reign came out strong and generated early pressure. However, the Roadrunners settled in after the opening five minutes and began creating offensive chances. Onyebuchi fired a shot from the top of the right circle, but Copley turned it aside. A minute later, Egor Sokolov nearly buried a loose rebound in the crease, but Copley managed to smother the puck.
The Reign responded with a prime opportunity on the next shift, as Jacob Doty led a three-on-one rush into the Tucson zone, but, his shot rang off the crossbar. Ontario continued pressing and outshot Tucson 7-2 through the first 10 minutes.
The sustained pressure paid off at 11:10 when Ward put Ontario on the board. Andre Lee won a puck battle behind the net and found Ward open in the slot, where he one-timed a shot past Villalta to give the Reign a 1-0 lead.
Ward nearly struck again on his next shift, breaking in alone on a breakaway, but Villalta made a sliding pad save to keep Tucson within one.
The Roadrunners wasted no time responding. Just 35 seconds after Ward’s breakaway chance, Agozzino capitalized on a turnover deep in the Ontario zone. He intercepted Caleb Jones’ pass and snapped a shot past Copley to tie the game 1-1 at 14:33.
SECOND PERIOD
Both teams had early opportunities on the power play but couldn’t convert.
Tucson earned the first man advantage just 58 seconds into the period when Ontario’s Joe Hicketts was whistled for tripping. The Roadrunners generated a pair of point shots from Artem Duda and Robbie Russo, but Copley turned both aside to keep the game tied. Moments after Hicketts’ penalty expired, Connauton was called for holding, but Tucson’s penalty kill remained sharp, preventing Ontario from recording a single shot on goal.
Midway through the frame, Tucson nearly took the lead off a forced turnover. Austin Poganski picked off an Ontario breakout attempt and set up Kailer Yamamoto deep in the offensive the zone with Cameron Hebig on a two-on-one. Yamamoto attempted to thread a pass across, but Copley cut off the lane with his stick and denied the scoring chance.
Villalta responded with a couple of key saves at the other end, stopping heavy point shots from Joseph Cecconi and Jack Millar to keep the game tied. His efforts allowed Tucson to break through moments later.
With 7:35 remaining, Lutz put the Roadrunners ahead 2-1 with his second goal of the season. After Copley stopped Drew’s initial shot from the slot, Sam Lipkin corralled the rebound, cycled behind the net, and fed Lutz for a one-timer that beat Copley. Drew and Lipkin picked up the assists on the go-ahead goal.
Tucson nearly extended its lead 90 seconds later after another Ontario turnover led to a point-blank opportunity for Curtis Douglas, but his shot rang off the post.
The Roadrunners continued to press, and with 4:37 left in the period, Onyebuchi made it 3-1. The Drew-Lipkin-Lutz line nearly struck again when Drew drove to the net and the puck trickled past Copley’s pad, but Ontario cleared it off the goal line at the last moment. Tucson quickly regained possession, and Onyebuchi fired a wrist shot from the left circle past Copley’s glove to double the lead.
Villalta closed out the period with a series of clutch saves to maintain Tucson’s two-goal advantage. He stopped Francesco Pinelli’s point-blank chance with 1:28 remaining, made a shoulder save on Martin Chromiak’s shot from the low slot, and capped off the frame by diving to smother Samuel Fagemo’s one-timer above the crease just before the buzzer.
THIRD PERIOD
For the second straight period, both teams had opportunities on the power play, but neither could break through against the other’s penalty kill.
Five minutes into the frame, Onyebuchi was whistled for hooking, giving Ontario an early man advantage. But, Villalta stood tall between the pipes and denied Fagemo three separate times from the low left circle to preserve Tucson’s two-goal cushion. The Roadrunners haven’t allowed a power-play goal in their last three games, going a perfect 10-for-10 on the penalty kill in that span.
Just a minute after the penalty expired, Villalta frustrated Fagemo again by smothering a one-timer from the left faceoff dot.
At the 10-minute mark, Villalta delivered another highlight-reel save. Charles Hudon slipped behind the Roadrunners defense on a breakaway, but Villalta stretched out to make the stop and keep Ontario off the board.
Villalta remained sharp down the stretch, turning aside Glenn Gawdin’s wrister from the slot with 5:21 remaining. He followed that up moments later by using his mask to block Ward’s close-range chance with 3:28 to go.
Ontario pulled Copley for an extra attacker off the ensuing faceoff in the Roadrunners’ zone and mounted a late push. Lee had multiple chances in the crease, but Villalta corralled the loose rebound with his glove to draw a whistle. Villalta finished the period with 20 saves to cap off a stellar performance.
Connauton sealed the win against his former team with an empty-net goal from center ice with 1:24 remaining.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners continue their Southern California road trip with a matchup against Bakersfield on Friday at 8 p.m. MST at Mechanics Bank Arena. Tucson will look to pick up crucial division points in the playoff race against a Condors squad battling for position. Fans can watch the game live on AHLTV on FloHockey.
