Lagace Stops 43 Shots in Stars 4-2 Win Over Charlotte
Oct 15, 2016Boxscore
Postgame Video
Shots:
Stars - 21
Checkers - 45
DeFazio, Dowling Stay Hot with Goals for Texas
CEDAR PARK, Texas -- Brandon DeFazio and Justin Dowling each scored for the second straight game, and Maxime Lagace turned aside 43 shots in net, to lead the Texas Stars to a 4-2 win over the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday night at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.
Andrew Bodnarchuk and Gemel Smith also scored the Stars (2-0-0-0). Texas swept their two-game set against the Checkers (0-2-0-0) to open up the 2016-17 regular season. Lagace stopped 77 of 81 total shots in net for the Stars over the weekend.
The Stars hit the West Coast beginning Wednesday against the Stockton Heat at 9 p.m. CST.
The Checkers struck first with a goal from Andrew Poturalski at 12:12 of the first period, but the one-goal lead was short-lived when Dowling set up DeFazio two minutes later in front of the net for a power play goal. With 1:14 remaining in the first, Bodnarchuk dug the puck free from the skates of a Charlotte defender in the left circle and snapped home his first goal in a Texas sweater to make it a 2-1, Texas lead.
Charlotte pulled even at 6:04 of period two with a shorthanded goal by Patrick Brown, but the Stars quickly returned fire again when Gemel Smith finished off an odd-man rush at 8:16 for his first of the season.
Dowling added an empty-net goal late in third to seal the 4-2 final.
Texas was outshot in the game 45-21. The Texas penalty kill unit held the Checkers scoreless on seven man-advantage opportunities. The Stars finished 1-for-5 on the power play.
Weekday home games (Monday-Thursday) are H-E-B night with the Texas Stars where fans can donate a non-perishable item at the box office and save five dollars on their ticket purchase. Every Saturday is a Texas Lottery Lucky Row Night where the first Stars player to score wins free scratch-off tickets for a lucky row of seats at H-E-B Center. Fans can also enjoy Coke Zero Family Four-Packs every Saturday with four tickets, four hot dogs and four soft drinks starting at just $16 per person.
The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, and will begin their eighth season at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in October. Full season, 24-game, 12-game and six-game ticket packages for the 2016-17 campaign are on sale now. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.
| Three Stars: 1. Lagace (TEX) 2. DeFazio (TEX) 3. Smith (TEX) |
Goaltenders: W - Lagace L - Nedeljkovic |
Photo Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars