Stransky's Late Heroics Lift Stars to 5-4 Win
Dec 22, 2016Boxscore
Shots:
Stars - 24
Rampage - 37
Texas Scores with 12 Seconds Left to Sweep Rampage
SAN ANTONIO -- Forward Matej Stransky jammed the puck through traffic and past netminder Jeremy Smith with 11.8 seconds left in regulation to earn the Texas Stars fourth straight win over the San Antonio Rampage.
Stransky’s game-winning goal, which came less than three minutes after San Antonio forward Rocco Grimaldi tapped in a rebound goal to knot the score at 4-4, was only one of a few exciting moments that occurred throughout Thursday’s I-35 matchup.
After making his first appearance since Oct. 29 on Wednesday against the Rampage (12-15-2-0), forward Caleb Herbert notched his first three points (2-1=3) in a Texas Stars sweater on Thursday. The Minnesota native lead the Texas Stars (15-10-1-1) offense and earned the game’s First Star honors.
Not to be done by Stransky’s game-winning heroics and Herbert’s three-point night, forward Justin Dowling took sole possession of third all-time in Stars history in points and assists. By setting up Travis Morin’s power-play goal two minutes into the second period, Dowling passed former Stars Captain Maxime Fortunus with his 124th assist and Greg Rallo with his 192nd point.
Two minutes after Morin’s power-play tally, Herbert buried his second goal of the evening right off of the face-off. He then set up forward Gemel Smith’s fifth goal of the season, and third goal in four games, to cap off a two-on-one rush that gave the visiting Stars a 4-2 lead headed into the final frame.
San Antonio’s Duncan Siemens shot a wrister past rookie goaltender Landon Bow to pull the Rampage within one of the Stars after three minutes of play in the third. Forwards Jim O’Brien and Mike Sislo each scored in period one for the Rampage after Herbert’s opening marker.
Bow earned the win to improve his record to 4-1-0 in his first six appearances with the club. Smith earned the loss for San Antonio after relieving Spencer Martin halfway through the second period.
The Stars finished 1-for-4 on the power play, and the Rampage went 1-for-6.
| Three Stars: 1. Herbert (TEX) 2. Stransky (TEX) 3. Sislo (SA) |
Goaltenders: W - Bow L - Smith |
Photo Credit: San Antonio Rampage