Costly Penalties Doom Stars in 5-3 Defeat in Iowa

(Credit: Tim Garland/Iowa Wild)

Looking to go over .500 on the road, the Texas Stars fell behind quickly and dropped the first game of the weekend series to the Iowa Wild 5-3 in front 6,550 at Wells Fargo Arena. After completing a weekend sweep of the Manitoba Moose at home, the Stars were unable to maintain the momentum and found themselves playing from behind all night. Ben Jones scored two goals and assisted on another three for the home team. 

The loss dropped the Stars to 7-4 on the season and was goaltender Magnus Hellberg's first defeat of the season, putting him at 6-1.

The first period started with Texas going on penalty kill just 1:25 into game when Lian Bichsel took an interference penalty. The Stars were able to get through the two minutes unscathed and generated three shorthanded opportunities but were unable to cash in.

Just over five minutes into the period, Wild center Ben Jones scored on a one-timer that beat Hellberg to give the home team a 1-0 lead. The remaining period was very territorial with each team looking to control possession. The frame ended with a 10-9 shot advantage for Iowa.

In a reversal of the first, Sammy Walker took a hooking penalty for the home team 1:34 into the second giving the visiting team their first power play. Only three seconds later, Antonio Stranges, assisted by linemates Kole Lind and Justin Hryckowian, found the back of the net for his third goal of the season, a one-timer from the blue line to tie the game at 1-1. 

The tie game didn’t last long as the Wild scored twice within a five minute span to go up 3-1. Things were looking bleak for the visitors when they failed to take advantage of a 36 second 5-on-3 power play midway through the period until captain Curtis McKenzie deflected a shot in front of the crease with one second remaining on the remaining 5-4 power play. It was McKenzie’s third goal of the season with assists from Bichsel on the shot and Arttu Hyry and brought Texas back to within one to end the period. The Stars outshot the Wild 13-9 in the middle frame.

The third began much the same way as the first two periods with penalties. Michael Karow took a tripping penalty 1:12 into the period after the Stars already had a carry-over penalty from the second . The home side wasted no time when Graeme Clarke scored to give them a 4-2 lead.

The undisciplined play continued for the Stars on the night as the special teams units had to deal with seven Iowa power plays. Luckily for Texas, Cameron Hughes, returning from injury, scored a short-handed goal with an assist to Hryckowian at the 16:29 mark to cut the Iowa lead to 4-3.

The visitors could not find an equalizer late as Jones scored his second on the night when the Stars pulled Hellberg to get an additional skater for their power play with 1:32 remaining.

The final of 5-3 dropped the Stars to 2-3 on the road on the season. Texas looks to split the weekend series tomorrow at 6 PM in Des Moines.

Tonight’s Lines
Stranges-Hryckowian-Lind
Wheatcroft-Hyry-Blümel
Pettersen-Hughes-McKenzie
Seminoff-Becker-McDonald

Petrovic-Looft
Bischel-Capobianco
Kyrou-Krys

Hellberg

Injuries, scratches and notes
White, Arcuri, Romano (scratch)
Kyrou (day-to-day injury)

Tonight’s attendance was 6,550.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Iowa - November 15 2024