This was not quite the way the Tornado envisioned their homecoming.

After eight games away from the friendly confines of the DejaBlue Arena in Frisco over the past three weeks, the Tornado returned to the Dr Pepper StarCenter Friday night in body, but not spirit, as they were thumped 6-0 by the Topeka Roadrunners.

After winning three of their previous four on the road, including a big 6-2 victory last Sunday over Alaska to extend their lead over the fifth-place Avalanche to nine points, the Tornado came out flat and were blanked for the fifth time this season.

Topeka outshot Texas by a 40-16 margin as Roadrunners goaltender Bryce Merriam posted his second shutout of the season. The Tornado now have just two regular season games remaining, including a return matchup with Topeka Saturday night.

“We were prepared for this game,” Roadrunners coach Scott Langer said. “I think they’re a pretty deep hockey team up front and I knew that we had to eliminate a lot of their chances to be successful. I believe that this might have been one of our top games of the year at both ends of the ice, so we did have a real good game and our goaltender did stay up on the shots that he did face.”

For Texas, starting netminder Tommy Callaghan was lifted after surrendering the third goal just 43 seconds into the second period and was replaced by rookie Matt Pombo, who made just his third - and longest - appearance in the Tornado crease. In 39:17, Pombo faced 26 shots and allowed three goals.

“It’s hard coming home for the first time and coming out and not doing well,” Pombo said of the disappointing loss. “I felt like I could have stepped up a bit more. It would have just been nice to see us come out tonight and really beat those guys, because we only have a few games left and we should be peaking right now as a team.”

The Tornado had a couple of chances in the first period, although Topeka outshot them 13-4. In fact, Callaghan was outstanding through the opening frame, making several impressive saves, including a nice pad stop 10:30 in on Eriah Hayes’ point-blank one-timer.

Callaghan then came up big on slap shots from Aaron Gens and Corey Jendras on a power play with about eight minutes left in the first, but just six seconds after Tyler Bowman exited the penalty box, the Roadrunners grabbed the 1-0 lead on Ross Trousdale’s sixth goal of the year at 12:38. Jake Hutt fed a nifty pass from the left corner out to Trousdale wide open in the slot, and Trousdale’s one-timer beat Callaghan on the glove side.

Topeka then went up by two with 2:19 left in the period on Matt Hartmann’s 18th of the year, finishing off a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play with Hutt and Trousdale with a quick wrist shot through a screen from the slot to make it 2-0.

The Tornado seemed to get one back with about one minute remaining in the period as Sergei Korostin bombed a slap shot off the rush from just over the blue line that appeared to possibly ricochet off the bar at the top back of the net, but was ruled to have clanked off the crossbar instead. Replays were inconclusive, but if that had gone in, climbing to within 2-1 there might have changed the entire complexion of the game. But, alas, it didn’t count and Texas entered the second down by two.

Things went from bad to worse for the Tornado as Topeka took a commanding 3-0 lead just 43 seconds into the middle period on Colin Smith’s seventh goal of the season, one that Callaghan undoubtedly wanted back and led to his exit. Smith carried into the Texas zone and flipped a soft wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle, but Callaghan misplayed it as the puck hit off the bottom of his glove and rolled into the net.

Pombo then entered the contest and was greeted with a barrage of shots, as the Tornado were outshot 19-4 in the second period, but he held his ground for most of the period until surrendering a power play goal to Jendras, his 26th goal of the year, at 13:58. Josh Kamrass passed out of the right corner to the high slot, where Jendras drilled a one-timer that beat Pombo between the pads to make it 4-0.

“Every day I just come here prepared,” Pombo said of stepping in midway through the game. “I think Tommy Callaghan’s a good goalie, but I was happy to see me get some time tonight. I guess my mindset would be just staying prepared, stay focused. I feel like I did all right. I wasn’t too happy with the first one. I took away all the net and all he had was five-hole and unfortunately, my stick was a little out of position.”

The Tornado started to stop the bleeding a bit late in the period, ironically, after Stu Jacobson was whistled for a five-minute cross-checking major. Texas killed the penalty effectively, although Pombo was called upon to make several big saves, stopping Bryon Paulazzo’s rebound in front with 4:39 to go, then robbing Gens in close twice in a row with 3:10 left in the second.

Texas then raised their level of play in the first half of the third, generating the period’s first real scoring chance as Korostin ripped a one-timer from the high slot 4:50 in, but Merriam made a big pad save.

Three minutes later, Pombo denied Garrick Perry’s wrist shot from the left circle after Topeka sped into the Tornado zone on a 2-on-1 rush.

The Roadrunners then capitalized on another power play opportunity with 9:06 remaining in the contest, as Reed Seckel deposited his 17th of the year. Stationed at the right post, Seckel banged home a quick cross-crease pass from Kamrass to make it 5-0.

Pombo nullified another 2-on-1 just 20 seconds later, flashing out the pad on Hutt’s wrister from the slot.

Topeka capped the scoring with 5:39 left on Kamrass’ 18th of the year, one that Pombo wasn’t happy with. Kamrass just shoveled an innocent-looking wrist shot on net from the left circle, but Pombo misplayed it and it slipped through his glove and trickled over the goal line.

As the Tornado battled to end Merriam’s shut out in the final minutes, Brian Sheehan came closest, but his scorching wrist shot from the top of the left circle pinged high off the far goal post and ended up in the crowd with 3:40 to go

It was a frustrating end to a disappointing night for the Tornado.

Captain Sean Roadhouse sat out the contest with a mildly sprained ankle and is currently listed as day-to-day. He was replaced in the lineup by Johnnie Searfoss, who made his NAHL debut after joining the club from the local Texas Attack Midget AAA team. He had a couple of chances while playing in all different situations, even earning his first penalty, a high-sticking call that unfortunately resulted in the fourth Topeka goal.

Roadhouse may or may not be available for the rematch Saturday night at the DejaBlue Arena (7:30pm start, listen to Tommy Daniels and myself with the call on b2 networks). While Tornado coach Dwight Mullins attempts to get his team back on track, the Roadrunners may be ripe for a letdown after such a dominating performance.

“That’s the toughest question as a coach,” Coach Langer said. “You play that good, sometimes it’s good enough for some guys. I’m not sure yet (what I’ll say), because you do have to motivate them. Sometimes you do have that hangover after a game like this. They’re going to come out flying, Dwight will have them going pretty good.”

THREE STARS

3. Reed Seckel, Topeka (one goal, one assist, four shots on goal)
2. Jake Hutt, Topeka (two assists, + 3)
1. Josh Kamrass, Topeka (one goal, two assists)

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