RoadRunners explode past Amarillo, 6-1
TOPEKA, Kan. – Six different players scored goals and goaltender Ryan Snowden was perfect in relief Saturday night as the Topeka RoadRunners posted a 6-1 North American Hockey League victory over Amarillo at the Kansas ExpoCentre.
The RoadRunners (4-5) spotted Amarillo (5-3-1) an early lead as defenseman Jeff Solow beat Topeka starting goalie Mike Rockwell with 40-footer through a screen, and that was all for Rockwell. Snowden entered and blanked the Bulls the rest of the way, stopping all 22 shots he faced, including 14 in the final period.
Topeka, which went 2-for-3 on the power play, tied the game less than three minutes after Solow’s goal as RoadRunner defenseman Matt Barnes beat Bulls starting goalie Nikita Babintsev with a blistering shot from 30 feet out. Teammates Marshall Bowery and Peyton Frantti assisted.
RoadRunner center Marcus Russell, with help from Andrew Hart and Jack DeMatteo, scored what proved to be the game-winner 1:44 into the second period, and five minutes later Christian Sanda (Max Harper, DeMatteo) ripped a high shot past Babintsev for a 3-1 lead. Jeff Makowski then chased Babintsev with his team-leading 6th goal, a bullet from close range. DJ Busdeker and Jay Keranen assisted.
The RoadRunners then made it a 5-1 lead before the end of the second period as Alex Frye (Makowski, Russell) sniped on backup goalie Kyle Madore.
Frantti added his 4th of the season, with help from Keranen, halfway through the final period to finish the scoring.
The RoadRunners finished with a 34-29 edge in shots on goal.
Topeka returns to action next week with three home games against Corpus Christi, beginning Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at the Kansas Expocentre.