Markus Nurmi scored two goals to help the Milwaukee Admirals to a 6-3 Wednesday at Tucson Convention Center Arena.
Milwaukee has won three straight games and moved into second place in the Central Division with 44 points, just two points behind first-place Texas.
Milwaukee scored the first goal of the game at 11:36 of the first period. Jachym Kondelik drove toward the goal and, with one hand on the stick, extended his arm to redirect a pass from Egor Afanasyev into the net for his fourth goal of the season.
The Admirals grabbed a 2-0 lead at 13:18 of the first frame. Kiefer Sherwood fired a shot from the left face-off circle past goalie David Tendeck for his 14th goal of the campaign.
The Roadrunners got on the board when Hudson Elynuik’s shot from the slot blooped into the net past Milwaukee goalie Devin Cooley at 17:36 of the opening stanza.
The Ads added a pair of goals in the second period. Markus Nurmi scored his 10th goal of the season, and third on the power play, when he corralled a Marc Del Gaizo rebound and potted the puck at 5:58.
Phil Tomasino scored his 11th goal of the season when he cleaned up a rebound of a Xavier Bouchard shot at 18:02 of the second period. The assist was Bouchard’s first American Hockey League point.
Tucson’s Adam Cracknell scored own a pair of deflections in the third period to close the gap to 4-3. Cracknell’s first goal came just :46 into the third period. His second came at 6:53.
The Roadrunners pulled Tendeck late in the game and Milwaukee scored a pair of empty-net goals. Nurmi scored from the Admirals right circle at 18:57 and Zach Sanford tallied from the center line at 19:44.
Cooley won his fourth straight start. He stopped 27 shots for the victory.
The Admirals continue the four-game road trip at Texas Sat., Jan. 14. The Admirals return to Milwaukee Wed., Jan. 18 for a home game against the Springfield Falcons at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.