Late Game Heroics Elevate Stars Past Admirals

Jan 18, 2025

CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, overcame the Milwaukee Admirals in a 4-3 nail-biter Saturday at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in front of a sellout crowd of 6,778. 

Antonio Stranges completed the Stars’ comeback with 46.2 seconds remaining in regulation to break a 3-3 tie.

The Admirals grabbed the first lead of the contest with 3:36 remaining in the first period. Kevin Gravel sent a shot pass from the left point, and Cal O'Reilly, positioned on the backdoor, redirected the pass into the net for the goal.

The Stars scored their first goal of the game with 4:36 remaining in the second period when Justin Ertel pounced on a loose puck that was poked away by an Admirals defender. Ertel quickly fired from below the right face-off dot, and the puck squeezed past Magnus Chrona on the short side. It was Ertel’s first AHL goal. The Admirals responded just over a minute later, regaining the lead as Joakim Kemell fired a shot through a bundle of players that screened Magnus Hellberg.

Arttu Hyry tied the game at 2-2 for the Stars 3:54 into the final frame on the power play. Hyry took a pass from Cameron Hughes below the goal line, quickly ripped a shot past Chrona on the glove side. Marc Del Gaizo put Milwaukee back on top just over two minutes later, firing a slap shot from the top of the slot that beat Hellberg. The Stars evened the score again after an Alex Petrovic slap shot deflected off an Admirals defender and into the Milwaukee net. With 46.2 seconds remaining, Hyry skated down the left-wing wall to the corner, then backhanded a pass to Stranges in front of the net. Stranges quickly gathered the puck and fired it past Chrona for the 4-3 Stars victory.

Hellberg stopped 22 of 25 in the victory for the Stars. Chrona turned away 21 of 25 in the loss for the Admirals.

The Stars and Admirals meet again for game two of the weekend series on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Tickets are on sale at www.texasstars.com/tickets.

The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.

Photo Credit: Logan Foust

Game Info	Shots	Goaltenders	3 Stars (Ubeo Business Services)
Boxscore	TEX: 25	W: Hellberg (TEX)	1: Stranges (TEX)
Photo	MIL: 25	L: Chrona (MIL)	2: Hyry (TEX)
			3: Ertel (TEX)