Eagles Jump Out Early to Knock Off Tucson, 3-1
Jan 30, 2026
TUCSON, AZ. – Colorado forward Valtteri Puustinen netted a power-play goal early in the first period, while fellow forward Mark Senden would notch the eventual game-winner late in the frame, as the Eagles defeated the Tucson Roadrunners 3-1 on Friday. Forward Jason Polin also found the back of the net for a second straight contest, while goaltender Isak Posch stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced to earn the win in net.
Colorado would earn the game’s first power play and the Eagles would seize the opportunity, as Puustinen crashed the net and stuffed home a rebound on top of the crease. The goal was his first in a Colorado sweater and put the Eagles on top 1-0 just 5:55 into the contest.
After killing off a Tucson power play, Colorado would strike again, as Senden swept home a rebound at the bottom of the left-wing circle, extending the Eagles lead to 2-0 at the 15:47 mark of the first period. Colorado would go on to outshoot the Roadrunners 9-5 in the opening 20 minutes and carried a 2-0 advantage into the first intermission.
Tucson would swing the momentum early in the second period when forward Ben McCartney flew through the left-wing circle before tucking home a backhander from the top of the crease, slicing the deficit to 2-1 at the 1:18 mark.
Still leading 2-1 as the puck dropped on the third period, the Eagles would shut down a pair of power plays for the Roadrunners, forcing Tucson to pull goalie Jaxson Stauber in favor of the extra attacker in the waning minutes of the contest. The empty net would prove useful to Colorado, as Polin stripped the puck in the Eagles zone before cruising down the ice and burying the empty-netter. The goal was his sixth of the season and rounded out the 3-1 score with 1:10 left to play in the game.
Stauber suffered the loss in net, allowing two goals on 29 shots. Colorado won the battle on specialty teams, going 1-for-4 on the power play and a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday, January 31st at 7:00pm MT at Tucson Arena in Tucson, Arizona. Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now. To purchase tickets or for more information, go to ColoradoEagles.com or call or text (970) 686-SHOT (7468).
