Tucson capitalizes on rebounds, special teams to beat Colorado 5-2

Colorado’s pushback never stuck, and that was the warning sign in a 5-2 loss that flipped a competitive night into a control game for Tucson. At Blue Federal Credit Union Arena in Loveland, the Roadrunners beat the Eagles with cleaner finishes, sharper special teams and a knack for killing every Colorado surge before it could build real momentum.

Tucson struck first, then struck again in the opening period, and Colorado still managed to respond to make it 1-1. But the Eagles could not turn that answer into a lasting swing. Tucson restored the lead and, after Colorado cut the margin to 3-2 on a rebound chance, the Roadrunners answered again instead of sagging. Cameron Hebig scored twice for Tucson, while Scott Perunovich, Michal Kunc and Max Szuber also found the net. Ivan Ivan and Chase Bradley scored for Colorado, but neither goal changed the game’s rhythm for long.

The decisive break came in the third period when Tucson cashed in on the power play. Max Szuber’s shot from the left circle slid across the goal line to make it 4-2, and that goal exposed the difference between the two teams all night. Colorado finished 0-for-2 on the power play, while Tucson went 1-for-2 and kept punishing the Eagles around the crease. With Colorado pressing and pulling its goalie late, Tucson added an empty-net goal to lock in the final margin.

The shot count told part of the story, but not the one that mattered most. Colorado put 37 shots on Jaxson Stauber, Tucson only 25, yet Stauber stopped 35 of them and held firm when the Eagles tried to force the pace. Trent Miner started in goal for Colorado, but the bigger problem was in front of him: the Eagles repeatedly lost second-chance battles, and Tucson kept turning rebounds and loose pucks into immediate answers. The Roadrunners snapped a four-game losing streak with the win and kept their playoff hopes alive, a crucial lift with Tucson sitting eighth in the Pacific Division and Colorado holding second.

That context made the result sting even more for Colorado. The Eagles were trying to protect a top divisional position, while Tucson was fighting to stay on the playoff line, and the Roadrunners played like a team that understood the stakes. The next night’s rematch went the other way, with Colorado winning 3-2 in overtime on Jacob MacDonald’s goal 45 seconds into the extra frame, a split that underscored how quickly control can swing in a tight Pacific Division race.