Coachella Valley’s Penalty Kill Goes Perfect in First of Two Games in Tucson
The Coachella Valley Firebirds (5-5-2-1) fell to the Tucson Roadrunners on Friday night at Tucson Arena by the final score of 3-1. Eduard Sale scored the lone goal for Coachella Valley, while Nikke Kokko made 28 saves in the opening game of the team’s two-game road series.
Tucson opened the scoring just 1:17 into the first period on a goal from Tij Iginla. The Roadrunners doubled their lead late in the second period when Joshua Roy scored at 18:01, giving Tucson a 2-0 advantage heading into the final frame.
Coachella Valley continued to battle in the third period, but Brandon Tanev’s empty-net goal at 17:25 extended Tucson’s lead to three. Sale broke the shutout with a powerplay goal with just six seconds left in the third period, assisted by Carson Rehkopf and Gustav Olofsson, to make the final score 3-1.
The Firebirds’ penalty kill went a perfect 5-for-5 and finished 1-for-4 on the powerplay, while Kokko stopped 28 of 30 shots faced.
The Firebirds return to action tomorrow, Saturday, November 7, for the second game of their back-to-back series against the Roadrunners. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT at Tucson Arena.
Click HERE to view the game’s full box score.
Single Game Tickets Available!
Single game tickets for Season Five of Coachella Valley Firebirds hockey are on sale now. Fans can secure their seats for all Firebirds home games at Acrisure Arena by visiting Ticketmaster.com or the Ticketmaster Box Office at Acrisure Arena. For more information, visit CVFirebirds.com.
Season Ticket Memberships on Sale Now!
Experience every moment of Season Five by becoming a Firebirds Season Ticket Member and receive complimentary admission to the preseason game! Members enjoy exclusive benefits including 25% off select food and beverage offerings, discounted parking, priority playoff access and exclusive team events, all while securing the best available seats for the 2026-27 season. Full Season Memberships are available now, click HERE to learn more and get your membership today!
Bring a Group to a Game!
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