Roadrunners drop series finale to Reign, 5-3 | Pro Hockey News

TUCSON, AZ – Three Ontario special teams goals in the second period were the difference in a 5-3 loss for the Roadrunners (22-19-8-0) against the Reign (34-16-1-1) Sunday at Tucson Arena.Roadrunners defenseman Scott Perunovich opened the scoring early in the second period, tying the game at 1-1. Ontario responded with a pair of power play goals less than five minutes in to build a 3-1 lead.Tucson answered late in the period when captain Austin Poganski scored on the power play to cut the deficit to one, but the Reign struck again in the final minute with a shorthanded goal to restore their two-goal lead.

Kevin Rooney scored short-handed late in the third period to bring the Roadrunners within one with just over three minutes remaining, but Ontario sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 1:06 remaining.

Forward Miko Matikka and rookies Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev each recorded an assist, while Owen Allard led Tucson with two points off a pair of assists.

HIGHLIGHTS

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS

• Sunday’s goal was extended Scott Perunovich goal streak to a season-high two games dating back to Feb. 7 at Calgary (2-0-2 in that span) and his points streak to a season-high four games dating back to Jan. 31 vs. Colorado, totaling four points (2g, 2a) during the run.
• He scores his 3^rd power play goal and 14^e goal of the season to cut the Roadrunners’ deficit to 3-2, Austin Pagansky is one goal away from tying his career high for goals in a season (15 in 2024-2025).
• Poganski now has goals in consecutive games (2-0-2) and six points (3g, 3a) in his last six games dating back to 2/6 at CGY.
• Daniel Maar tallied a point for the second consecutive game with Sunday’s assist (1-1-2 in that span) and now has six points (2g, 4a) in his last seven games dating back to 11/23 vs. COL.
• Dmitri Simashev notched an assist for the second straight game with Sunday’s secondary assist on Austin Poganski’s goal in the second period for his 18th assist of the season.
• Sunday’s help marked Simashev’s sixth power-play assist of the season, which leads all Roadrunners rookies and ranks third on the team.
• Owen Allard recorded his first multi-assist game of the season and second multi-point game of the campaign (previous 1-1-2 on 11/15 at COL).
• Kevin Rooney has two goals and three points in his last three games and six points (3g, 3a) in his last five games dating back to 2/7 at CGY.
• Sunday’s tally marked Rooney’s first shorthanded goal of the season and 11^e of his AHL career.

THE REPORT

FIRST PERIOD
The Roadrunners controlled the game early and didn’t allow a shot on goal until six and a half minutes. Ontario scored on the first shot, however, as Andre Lee beat Tucson goalkeeper Matthew Villalta with a quick wrister from the high end of the rush to give the Reign a 1-0 lead.

Tucson regrouped and controlled the game for much of the rest of the period, but a double-minor high-sticking penalty in the final minute gave Ontario a four-minute power play that carried into the second period.

SECOND PERIOD
Tucson ended the remaining three minutes of Ontario’s power play to open the period and kept the deficit at one before finding the equalizer shortly after.

Defenseman Scott Perunovich beat Ontario netminder Erik Portillo with a hard wrister from the high slot to tie the game 1-1 at 6:03.

The Reign answered with a pair of power play goals in the span of less than five minutes, swinging the momentum back in their favor. Lee restored Ontario’s lead at 8:45, scoring his second of the match on a quick shot from just outside the crease.

Ontario doubled its lead at 13:17 after its second man advantage of the period, when Martin Chromiak fired a one-timer from the left circle to make it 3-1.

Tucson responded less than two minutes later when captain Austin Poganski buried a rebound from the low slot on the power play at 15:13 to pull the Roadrunners within one.

However, the Reign struck late in the frame on the penalty kill when Kenny Connors delivered a lead pass to Jared Wright on a two-on-one, and Wright slid the puck through Villalta’s five-hole to give Ontario a 4-2 lead with 18 seconds left.

THIRD PERIOD
Tucson earned an early power play just over five minutes into the period after Glenn Gawdin was whistled for interference, but the Roadrunners couldn’t convert.

Down two late, Tucson found life on the penalty kill after a hooking call sent Ontario to the power play with five minutes left. Kevin Rooney pounced on his own rebound and scored short-handed to pull the Roadrunners within one, 4-3, with 3:19 to go.

Villalta was replaced by the extra attacker with just over two minutes remaining, but Wright scored his second goal of the night into the empty net to seal Ontario’s 5-3 victory.

NEXT
The Roadrunners open a six-game road trip in San Diego on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 PM AZT at Pechanga Arena. Fans can listen live FOX Sports 1450 hours and the iHeartRadio app and watch further AHLtv on FloHockey.