Series Preview – Tucson Roadrunners at Colorado Eagles

Game 1: Friday, Apr. 10 at 6:05 p.m. AZT, Blue Federal Credit Union
Game 2: Saturday, Apr. 11 at 6:05 p.m. AZT, Blue Federal Credit Union

Officials
Friday – Referees: #42 Ben Betker, #59 Simon Desbiens | Linespeople: #72 Dane Hopkins, #24 Eric McDonald
Saturday – Referees: #42 Ben Betker, #59 Simon Desbiens | Linespeople: #86 Lucas Bisbee, #1 Chase McGee

Broadcast Info
Friday: LISTEN LIVE HERE or on Fox Sports 1450AM | WATCH on AHLtv on Flo Hockey 
Saturday: LISTEN LIVE HERE or Fox Sports 1450AM | WATCH on AHLtv on Flo Hockey 

Loveland, COL – The Tucson Roadrunners (30-28-9-0) continue their final road trip of the regular season with a two-game series against the Colorado Eagles (40-17-6-5) on Friday and Saturday at Blue Federal Credit Union Arena. Both games will start at 6:05 p.m. AZT.

Tucson enters the weekend winless through the first four games of its seven-game road trip following Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to Bakersfield.

The Roadrunners will look to snap their current four-game skid and keep their playoff hopes alive, as Tucson trails seventh-place San Diego by seven points for the final Pacific Division playoff spot. While the Roadrunners will need some help to make up ground, a pair of wins this weekend could delay elimination — depending on San Diego’s results in Bakersfield — and set up a pivotal matchup against the Gulls in the road trip finale Wednesday.

The weekend series is also critical for Colorado, which sits second in the Pacific and trails the first-place Ontario Reign by just two points with four games remaining. The Eagles will look to keep their division title hopes alive.

Friday marks the seventh of eight meetings between the Roadrunners and Eagles this season, and the third in Loveland. Tucson is 2-3-1-0 against Colorado this year (1-1-0-0 on the road, 1-2-1-0 at home). The Eagles have won each of the last three meetings, all at Tucson Arena. However, Tucson won the previous matchup in Loveland, 3-0, behind a 32-save shutout from Jaxson Stauber and two goals from defenseman Max Szuber. Assistant captain Ben McCartney leads Tucson in both goals and points in the season series against Colorado with three goals and two assists for five points.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

A-GOAL-ZZINO STAYS HOT
Assistant captain Andrew Agozzino remains red hot, entering the weekend with a team-high 16 points (8g, 8a) over his last 11 games since March 11 vs. Henderson — tied for fourth in the AHL in goals and tied for fifth in points during that span. He also leads the Roadrunners with 28 points (16g, 12a) in his last 30 games since Jan. 20 at San Diego, tied for the second-most goals in the league over that stretch. Agozzino scored his 19th goal of the season on Wednesday in Bakersfield and needs just one more to reach the 20-goal mark for the fifth consecutive season and ninth time in his career.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Captain Austin Poganski extended his single-season career high with his 30th assist of the year — tied with McCartney for the most among Roadrunners forwards — in Wednesday’s game at Bakersfield. He enters the weekend on a three-game point streak (2g, 2a) since April 3 at Henderson.

Poganski ranks second on the team with 14 points (8g, 6a) over his last 11 games since March 11 vs. Henderson, with his eight goals tied with Agozzino for the team lead in that span. On the season, he has set career highs in goals (22) and points (52) and leads the team in both categories, as well as in games played (65).

RUSSO ROLLING
Defenseman Robbie Russo enters the weekend with a goal in his last game at Bakersfield and is riding a three-game point streak (1g, 2a) since April 3 at Henderson, tied for his longest of the season. He also recorded a three-game run from March 21–27 (1g, 2a).

Russo has totaled eight points (2g, 6a) over his last 10 games since March 11 vs. Henderson and continues to finish the season strong. He needs five points over the final five games to reach the 20-point mark for the fifth consecutive season and ninth time in his career. Russo is also four games shy of 700 career AHL games.

NUMBERS TO KNOW:

2 – Tucson’s penalty kill has allowed just two power-play goals over its last five games since March 28 vs. Ontario, going 11-for-13 in that span (84.6%). The Roadrunners have posted a perfect penalty kill in three of those five contests and have not allowed more than one power-play goal in a game during that stretch.

WE’RE DOING IT LIVE
Both games this weekend will be streamed on AHLtv on FloHockey and broadcast on FOX Sports 1450 AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage for both matchups begins at 5:50 p.m. AZT with Roadrunners Warm-Up hosted by James Mackey and David Moradian.