Game #5: San Antonio (2) at Tucson (4)

SOG: SA (31) – TUC (39)

PP: SA (2/4) – TUC (1/7)

SA SCORING: Reinke (1pp), Kaspick (1pp)

TUC SCORING: Pederson (6), Chaput (3), Gross (1), Russo (1pp)

Box Score Link

Off and Running

They say goals late in the period are “back-breakers” but a San Antonio tally with just over two minutes to play in Friday’s middle frame wound up being the exact opposite for Tucson, who ran off four in a row in the third to pick up their third straight win on Friday at Tucson Arena.

Coming out of the intermission Lane Pederson netted his fifth goal over the last three games and his sixth of the season, currently placing him tied for second in the American Hockey League with half of a dozen goals through five games total. #18 got a wrist shot from the glove-side circle past Ville Husso, who was rock-solid to start Friday’s game. Husso, who was screened by his own defender on the marker, stopped the first 27 shots he faced through two periods before Pederson’s mark started Tucson’s streak.

Teaming up to score a pair of goals just 14 seconds apart on Friday, captain Michael Chaput followed Pederson’s lead 2:21 behind on Saturday to take Tucson from trailing by one to up one with a slam dunk in front.

Tucson’s defenseman got in on the scoring action to conclude the run, with drives from Jordan Gross and Robbie Russo both going high on Husso to seal the momentum.

The story of the night was 20-year-old Ivan Prosvetov, who was making his pro debut in the contest and walked away with 29 saves and a victory.

THEY SAID IT

“There’s no secret, we just live in the moment. We have to live in the day. We’re not looking in the past, we’re not looking into the future. We don’t talk a whole lot about those things. We’re going to rest tomorrow, get back to work Monday and take it from there.” – Head Coach Jay Varady on keeping an level mentality after the team took two games from San Antonio, a team that had not lost in regulation yet.



DON’T OVERLOOK IT

Albeit not from the Roadrunners side, Tucson faced an outstanding netminder that played on an outstanding level all weekend. Ville Husso was tested with 66 shots over the course of the weekend and if it weren’t for his stellar play from the hop both nights, Tucson might’ve ran away with this weekend by an even bigger score.

GOTTA SEE IT

It was just a tight, one-goal game in the third period when Jordan Gross kicked the momentum into overdrive in Tucson’s favor, giving that feeling that the fortune wouldn’t be turning back around.

A deadly tee-up and drive.

(Photo Credit: Chris Hook)

PHOTO OF THE GAME

Showing his ability to make dynamic saves, Ivan Prosvetov extends to his glove-side to make one of his 29 stops Saturday evening.