Tucson Rock Lobsters U18 Defeat Glendale Greens in Statement Win

TUCSON, AZ — The Tucson Rock Lobsters U18 squad delivered a commanding performance this weekend, defeating the rival Glendale Greens 5–2 in front of a raucous crowd at the Tucson Community Rink (capacity: 123 plus one very confused Zamboni driver).

From the opening faceoff, the Rock Lobsters set the tone with relentless forechecking and, more importantly, an unrelenting bench chant of “Pinch the Greens!” that echoed through the building.

Forward Jake “Snacks” Ramirez led the charge with two goals and an assist, while goalie Tyler McKenna turned aside 31 shots — including one save he made while tying his skate mid-play, drawing wild applause from parents and grandparents alike.

Head coach John Tortorella praised his team’s effort. “We played hard, we played the right way, and nobody spilled their Gatorade on the bench. That’s growth,” he said before immediately benching a defenseman for smiling during warmups.

The win marks a big step for the Rock Lobsters, who now move to 3–1 on the season and, according to the team’s official Twitter account, are “the most feared crustacean-themed program in the state.”

Their next challenge comes Saturday against the Mesa Mustangs — a matchup already being billed as “The Desert Duel.”