The Tucson Roadrunners opened their 10th anniversary season at home with a pair of losses to the Colorado Eagles.
The Roadrunners lost 5-3 to Colorado on Sunday to drop their first series of the year.
Tucson opened up the season with a 2-0 loss to the Eagles on Saturday night. Colorado scored a couple goals in the second period and the Roadrunners were unable to answer.
On Sunday Tucson overcame a 2-0 deficit and then a 3-1 deficit before tying it at 3-3 in the third.
“We were down 2-0 (Sunday), but I think we came back great,” said Tucson defenseman Gregor Biber, “we scored some goals finally and we showed what we can do and I think if the puck hops a little bit different, we win the game, but yeah, I think we responded pretty good to the 2-0.”
On Sunday, Colorado outshot Tucson 31-23. Neither team scored a power play goal, both going 0-for-4.
The Eagles struck first with a couple first period goals but Tucson answered at the 18:36 mark of the first with a goal by defenseman Montana Onyebuchi. It was assisted by defenseman Zac Jones and forward Julian Lutz.
Last year, Onyebuchi scored one goal, also against Colorado early in the season.
Sunday was the third time that Onyebuchi scored a goal and was in a fight. He did last on Mar. 26, 2025, against Ontario and on Nov. 24 2022 he got a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, assist and a fight).
The Canadian didn’t play on opening night.
“I loved the response, I don’t think he was happy being sat out, there’s no doubt about it,” said Tucson head coach Steve Potvin. “So definitely loved his response, I loved the way he was in the D-zone, too, he started to take control, throwing the body, that’s what he does really well, right? I thought it was a great showing.”
The Eagles scored a third, by forward Maroš Jedlička, in the second but in the last minute of the period forward Kevin Rooney lit the lamp with assists from forward Yegor Borikov and Biber.
Biber, who is from Krems, Austria, played for Rögle Ängelholm in Sweden last year. Utah drafted Biber in the fourth round in 2024.
“It’s just faster the ice is so much smaller over here so you have less time everywhere you are, so you just have to be aware and have your head up all the time,” Biber said about the AHL.
At the start of the third forward Vadim Moroz tied it up with his first Roadrunner and AHL goal. Assists came from forwards Ben McCartney and Gabe Smith.
However, the Eagles retook the lead off a score from forward Tristen Nielsen a little over halfway through the third period.
Colorado clinched the win with an empty net goal by forward Taylor Makar with 1:07 left.
Last year, Colorado reached the Western Conference Finals.
Moroz tallied his first career AHL goal and rookies Smith, Borikov and Biber got their first AHL points on Sunday.
Potvin said the rookies impressed him and were aggressive. He said Bieber understands the game.
“I think he has good timing on his gaps and being able to serve them right across and kill plays and then be able to reattack,” Potvin said. “I think that’s rare to see in young men where they come over, that they’re already finely tuned in those areas, we were able to keep pucks in and be able to sustain offense because of those types of gap breeds.”
Up next for the Roadrunners is a two-game series at the San Jose Barracuda (1-1) on Friday and Saturday. Their next home series is Oct. 16 and 17 against the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.
The Barracuda split a series with the Gulls in the opening weekend.
With Disney on Ice coming to town, the Roadrunners will go to Scottsdale and then head to San Jose a couple days before the game.
“Yeah, I think it’s great to, after a couple losses like this you go on the road and you start to get into more discussions and you end up solving a lot of problems,” Potvin said. “So you start to build camaraderie and I think those are valuable, especially when you’re there for an entire week, we leave early and the guys will be able to spend some time and really work things out.”
He said they will partake in some team bonding activities on the trip.
“I think these teams bonding activities are a lot of fun for everybody, so keeps the group loose, together even more,” Biber said. “So, yeah, that’s for sure a good thing next week and then we’ll be ready to get the first win next week.”
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