The Roadrunners club inline hockey team is rolling toward the playoffs after beating both the University of Northern Colorado and Arapahoe Community College Feb. 6 at Rocky Mountain Roller in Lakewood.

The wins were Metro’s eighth and ninth in a row, giving them a 12-2 record for the season and a Rocky Mountain Collegiate Roller Hockey Association Division II No. 1 ranking.

In the first game, goalie Ryan Tennant made 22 saves and recorded a shut out in the Roadrunners’ 6-0 victory over UNC. Forward Bobby Derian scored three goals and assisted on another, while his younger brother Tommy Derian scored one goal and had two assists.

Defenseman Cody Lemon said tight defense, good goaltending and the Derian brothers’ offense were keys to the victory.

Metro defenseman Cody Lemon, center, awaits a faceoff Feb. 6 during the Roadrunners 6-3 victory over Arapahoe Community College. Photo by Matt Gypin

“We played great defense, we weren’t letting them cut into the slot and we got our sticks on them and our bodies on them,” Lemon said. “Ryan (Tennant) has been absolutely solid the last three years, this year more than any other. Offensively, Bobby [Derian] and Tommy [Derian] together are unstoppable: they will pull things you wouldn’t think is possible; miracle plays.”

In the second game, the Roadrunners fell behind 1-0 early and trailed 2-1 after the first period, before rallying to beat Arapahoe Community College 6-3. Lemon said his team came out overconfident and overlooked its opponent.

“I think we just played down to the team,” Lemon said. “We figured we would be able to really beat this team, considering our JV team beat them 7-0 the week before, and we just played down to their level.

“We knew it the second we came off after the first period, our coach ripped into us and we had nothing to say,” Lemon said. “We knew exactly what we were doing wrong; we all knew we were going to pull it out and we weren’t worried about it. We just all looked at each other and said, ‘let’s play the game we know how to play and get this thing taken care of.’ And that’s what we did.”

The Roadrunners will face Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Feb. 20 at Rocky Mountain Roller, before going to Fort Collins Feb. 27 for the regional playoffs. If Metro wins the regional championship, they will be invited to nationals in San Jose, CA in April.