‘Runners lock up regular season division championship

Richard Kelly

Having the Robertson Cup in Topeka isn’t the only reason the Topeka RoadRunners are currently celebrating. They also have clinched the North American Hockey League South Division Regular Season Championship.

Following a 4-2 win on Friday at Wichita Falls and a 7-4 win on Saturday night at Amarillo, Topeka (42-9-3) finished off the weekend with a 5-3 victory over the Amarillo Bulls. Amarillo (34-13-5) was the only team remaining in the division who could have taken over the top spot, however this is no longer a possibility.

The RoadRunners also only need one more point in their four remaining games to lock up the NAHL League Regular Season Championship.

The RoadRunners received scoring from five different players in the game, including first period goals from Cory Ramsey and Jake Lynes, as Topeka led 2-1 after the first period. In the second frame, Amarillo tied the contest after only 15 seconds. Davey Middleton put the ‘Runners back on top at 6:25 and Jordan Davis added a goal just over a minute later at 7:41 to make it 4-2.

Dan Sherer brought the Bulls back within a goal at 10:55 before Andrew O’Leary fired a shot pasted Nikofor Szczerba to make it 5-3.

There was no scoring in the third period as Topeka picked up the victory. Rasmus Tirronen stopped 24 of 27 shots on goal to improve to 24-7-4 on the season.

The RoadRunners play their final four games at home, including two games this upcoming weekend versus the St. Louis Bandits. Friday and Saturday night’s faceoffs are set for 7:05 p.m.