The RoadRunners extended their lead in the South division of the NA3HL this past weekend taking a three game sweep on the road in Louisiana. For the moment the Runners are now in sole possession of first place in the South division and third place in the entire NA3HL but this spot could change slightly over the next couple days as the Northeast Generals will try to regain that third spot as they face off VS the Baystate Bobcats in a pre- showcase matchup on Wednesday and again on Friday this week. Meanwhile the Runners will get back on the ice tomorrow and begin preparing for their Blaine match-ups VS Granite City, Oregon and Gillette over the three days of the Showcase beginning Sunday December 18th in Blaine, MN. This will be the first time ever the RoadRunners will enter the tournament as a divisional frontrunner and are looking to see where they fit within the leagues powerhouses.
Friday Score:
TX RoadRunners 5 @ Louisiana 2: The RoadRunners picked up their 6th consecutive win after taking down the Drillers 5-2. Louisiana’s Jack Lambert broke the deadlock with a goal but Texas’ Matvey Ivanov and Gabe Stoner answered for the RoadRunners and gave them a 2-1 lead through 20 minutes. Jack Herron scored the lone goal in the middle frame to extend the lead. Tyler Walker cut the deficit with a score for Louisiana but Herron and Tyler Love answered with insurance goals for Texas. Hunter Hein came away with the victory, making 34 saves in the win for the RoadRunners. John Moriarty kept out 24 shots faced in the loss.
Saturday Score:
TX RoadRunners 5 @ Louisiana 2: A hat trick performance from Texas forward Matvey Ivanov led them past the Drillers 5-2 to pick up their 7th straight win. Eitan Geralnik and Ivanov got the RoadRunners offense rolling quickly with goals in the opening frame. Jack Lambert got Louisiana on the board and closer to level scores but Ivanov silenced the comeback bid with a pair of goals before the end of the period. Kyle Portlock extended the lead to 5-1 with a goal early in the 3rd period. Brody Neish scored the remaining goal for the Drillers. Hunter Hein kept out 33 saves for Texas while John Moriarty made 24 stops for Louisiana.
Sunday Score:
TX RoadRunners 4 @ Louisiana 1 – RoadRunners goalie Nash Wilson made 26 saves to lead his team to a 4-1 win and three-game weekend road sweep of the Drillers. Louisiana got on the board first with their lone goal from Brody Neish, which made it 1-0 in the 1st period. In the 2nd period, the RoadRunners took over the lead with goals from Jack Herron and Eitan Geralnik to make it 2-1. 3rd period goals from Derek Boutin and Tyler Love secured the 4-1 win. John Moriarity made 15 saves in the loss.
The Runners will head to Blaine, MN. this Friday with a couple days to prep for the upcoming games against three other divisional leaders. “This is what we were hoping for. Leading the South and matching up against three top teams that we feel we will need to be prepared for should things go our way in the second half of the season and onto the playoffs.” States Runners Head Coach Mike Beavis All NA3HL games are live on HockeyTV.com