Stars Clinch South Division With Eight Goal Outburst

Mike Hedden scores one of his two goals on the day. This one was the eventual game winner. (Credit: Josh Huskins)

The Stars needed two points any way they could get them to clinch the South Division this afternoon in San Antonio. They got those two points with authority as Texas defeated the Rampage 8-2.

Six different Stars had multipoint games. Mike Hedden, who scored the game winner in the first, had three points. Justin Dowling had two goals and an assist.  Scott Glennie, inserted in place of late scratch Brett Ritchie on the line with Dowling and Hedden, had a goal and two assists. Relative newcomer Cameron Gaunce had four assists and was plus-5.

With the eight goals, Texas tied their franchise record for most goals in a game and set their season record at five for margin of victory. Jack Campbell was relatively untested, seeing just 18 shots in the game.

Texas moves to 95 points with the win and has clinched the South Division and thus home-ice advantage.

The long day for the San Antonio Rampage began with Reilly Smith's 14th of the season. Smith polished off a pass from Cameron Gaunce from the right side faceoff dot for the 1-0 lead. The short side goal came halfway through the opening period.

San Antonio evened things up with Jack Combs' 14th of the year as well. He finished the play off a pass from John Rheault for the 1-1 tie. Texas answered right back with two quick goals to close the first. Colton Sceviour potted his 21st of the year on a beautiful set of passes from Smith to Morin to Sceviour.

Only 33 seconds later, a patient play by Mike Hedden yielded his twelfth of the season, beating Dov Grumet-Morris for the 3-1 lead.

The onslaught continued in the second period as Texas potted four goals off the sticks of three different goal scorers. Travis Morin went first at the 2:33 mark, off a drop pass from Reilly Smith and over the blocker of DGM.

Scott Glennie went next only three and a half minutes later, chasing DGM from the net with the Stars' fifth goal of the night. It was a rebound off the initial shot from Gaunce.

Justin Dowling broke the seal on Brian Foster's night just 90 seconds later with his 14th of the year. It was a tip play off the initial shot from Cameron Gaunce, who picked up his third primary assist of the night.

Jared Gomes cut into the Texas lead just short of the thirteen minute mark of the second period from the left wing point.

Dowling went again though as Texas was on a second consecutive power play. Off the long pass from Maxime Fortunus, Dowling went bar down on Brian Foster for the 7-2 lead after forty.

Mike Hedden added one more in the final frame to set the final margin at six.

Tonight's lines:
R. Smith-Morin-Sceviour
Hedden-Dowling-Glennie
McKenzie-Sonne-Cameron
Gazdic-Petersen-Wathier

Gaunce-Connauton
Oleksiak-Commodore
Fortunus-Morrow

Campbell

Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Fraser, Chiasson, Benn, Nilstorp (call up)
Montgomery, Nemeth, Sloan, Wrenn, Vause, Ritchie, Jokipakka (scratch)

Ritchie was a late scratch, likely due to illness.

Tonight's attendance was 7,673.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at San Antonio - April 14 2013