Walker Lifts Roadrunners Past Wranglers in Overtime

Roadrunners Recap: 12/28/2025

Game #28: Tucson Roadrunners (3) vs. Calgary Wranglers (2) OT

SOG: TUC (34) – CGY (19)

PP: TUC (1/4) – CGY (0/3)

CALGARY SCORING: Dryden Hunt (7), William Strömgren (3)
TUCSON SCORING: Noel Nordh (4), Max Szuber (5), Sammy Walker (6)

TUCSON, AZ– Sammy Walker scored the game-winner with 1:03 remaining in overtime to lift the Tucson Roadrunners (12-12-4-0) past the Calgary Wranglers (14-11-6-1) by a score of 3-2 on Sunday at Tucson Arena to complete the Roadrunners’ first series sweep of the season.

Tucson rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits, as Max Szuber tied the game early in the third period and Noel Nordh’s power-play goal midway through the first period kept the Roadrunners even with Calgary after the Wranglers jumped out to an early lead.

Roadrunners goaltender Jaxson Stauber delivered timely saves late to force overtime and finished with 17 saves to collect his third win of the season.

NOTABLES

• Roadrunners captain Austin Poganski skated in his 400th career AHL game, which is the fifth most on the team behind Andrew Agozzino (810), Robbie Russo (663), Kevin Connauton (457) and Cameron Hebig (411).
• Sunday marked Tucson’s ninth overtime game of the season. Tucson improved its record to 5-0-4-0 in overtime games.
• Tucson’s penalty kill went a perfect 3-for-3 on Sunday and was 6-for-6 in the weekend series. Tucson’s penalty has gone 8-for-8 in its last three games dating back to Dec. 21 at Abbotsford.
• The Roadrunners have scored a power-play goal in three consecutive games dating back to Dec. 21 at Abbotsford. Tucson’s power play has gone 3-for-13 in that stretch (23%).
• Sunday’s tally marked Noel Nordh’s first-career power-play goal in the AHL.
• All four of Nordh’s goals this season have been scored at home, and three of his goals have come in the first period.
• Nordh has eight points (2g, 6a) in his last 10 games dating back to Nov. 29 vs. Abbotsford.
• Sunday marked Cameron Hebig‘s second-straight game with an assist. He extended his home point streak to four games dating back to Dec. 12 vs. Bakersfield, with five points (2g, 3a) in that span.
• It was Hebig’s fifth power-play assist of the season. He leads the team with nine power-play points.
• Artem Duda recorded a point for the second straight game and has tallied a point in all four games against Calgary this season for a total of four points (1g, 3a).
• Sunday’s assist also extended Duda’s home point streak to five games dating back to Oct. 29 vs. Manitoba for a total of five points (1g, 3a) in that span.
• Duda now has four power-play points on the season (1g, 3a), which ranks second among Roadrunners defenseman behind Scott Perunovich’s seven (7a).
• Sunday’s goal was Max Szuber‘s second consecutive game with a point after tallying an assist on Saturday.
• Szuber leads Roadrunners defenseman in goals (5) and the team in points in the season series vs. Calgary with five points (2g, 3a) in four games.

THE RUNDOWN

FIRST PERIOD
Calgary started fast and opened the scoring just 57 seconds in. Dryden Hunt finished a two-on-one rush, tapping in a backdoor feed from William Strömgren to give the Wranglers an early 1-0 lead.

The Roadrunners surrendered another odd-man rush shortly after, but Stauber came up with a key stop on Martin Frk to keep the deficit at one.

After Calgary controlled much of the first five minutes, Tucson began to find its footing and earned a pair of power-play opportunities. The Roadrunners capitalized on the second, as Nordh snapped a shot from the right faceoff dot past Wranglers goaltender Arsenii Sergeev’s blocker at 8:45. Cameron Hebig and Artem Duda recorded the assist on the tying goal.

Just eight seconds after Nordh’s power-play tally, Maveric Lamoureux dropped the gloves with Calgary defenseman Turner Ottenbreit, igniting the crowd as Lamoureux landed several punches before wrestling Ottenbreit to the ice.

Tucson’s power-play unit remained busy past the 10-minute mark, earning a third man-advantage opportunity but coming up empty.

Calgary regained the lead late in the period when Strömgren ripped a wrister from the left faceoff circle past Stauber’s blocker off a feed from Carter King with just over two minutes remaining, sending the Wranglers into the first intermission ahead 2-1.

The teams were even in shots on goal with 10 apiece through 20 minutes, but Calgary held the one-goal advantage on the scoreboard.

SECOND PERIOD
Tucson’s special teams remained busy to open the middle frame, as the Roadrunners killed their second penalty of the night to stay perfect against Calgary’s power play.

Tucson controlled the pace through the opening five minutes, outshooting the Wranglers 4-0 during that stretch. The Roadrunners continued to generate pressure, and midway through the period Miko Matikka created the best scoring chance for either side, firing a wrister from the slot that was turned aside by Sergeev to keep the game 2-1.

The Roadrunners successfully killed off another Calgary power play later in the period, finishing the frame a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.

Tucson outshot Calgary 10-4 in the second period but headed into the final intermission still trailing 2-1.

THIRD PERIOD
Tucson drew even early in the final frame when Szuber ripped a point shot past Sergeev’s blocker side at 1:58 to tie the game at 2-2.

The Roadrunners carried the momentum offensively and nearly took their first lead at the 5:20 mark when Walker rang a shot off the right post from the top of the right circle. Tucson was unable to capitalize on the ensuing power-play opportunity.

After a seven-minute stretch without a recorded shot, the Roadrunners generated four Grade-A chances, highlighted by Ryan McGregor’s partial breakaway, but Sergeev came up with the stop as McGregor tried to slip a backhand five-hole attempt past the Calgary netminder.

Calgary answered with a Grade-A chance of its own late in the period, as Rory Kerin’s shot from the slot was gloved by Stauber at the 16:45 mark.

In the closing seconds of regulation, McGregor had another golden opportunity to put Tucson ahead, but Sergeev denied his backhand attempt to send the game beyond the third period.

OVERTIME
Tucson controlled the overtime session, firing five shots on goal and generating several quality scoring chances that nearly ended the game earlier. Walker ultimately sealed the victory, as his shot slipped past Sergeev’s glove with 1:03 remaining to secure the win and the Roadrunners’ first sweep of the season.

UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will wrap up the homestand against the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday. Puck drop is set for 6 P.M. AZT at Tucson Arena. Fans can listen live on FOX Sports 1450 AM and the iHeartRadio app and watch on AHLtv on FloHockey.

Fans can secure their seats online at Ticketmaster.com.

HIGHLIGHTS