WILD DISPLAY RESILIENCE, DEFEAT STARS 4-3 IN SHOOTOUT
Apr 9, 2022
CEDAR PARK, Texas – Iowa Wild (28-27-4-4; 64 pts.) defeated the Texas Stars (27-25-6-6; 66 pts.) in a shootout by a score of 4-3 on Saturday, Apr. 9. Wild forward Cody McLeod tied the game at 13:47 of the third period to force overtime. Iowa came back from one-goal deficits on three separate occasions in the game.
Stars forward Fredrik Karlstrom opened the scoring when he beat Wild goaltender Zane McIntyre (30 saves) with a wrist shot from the left circle at 7:04 of the first period to give Texas a 1-0 lead.
Karlstrom’s tally was the only goal scored by either team in the first period, and Texas outshot Iowa 13-8 in the stanza.
Wild forward Mason Shaw found Wild defenseman Joe Hicketts in the slot and Hicketts pushed a backhand shot through Stars goaltender Adam Scheel (29 saves) at 2:54 of the second period. Hicketts’ goal tied the game 1-1 and was assisted by Shaw and Iowa forward Kyle Rau.
Texas forward Curtis McKenzie collected a deflected pass and put a wrist shot past McIntyre from the right circle at 16:04 of the second period. The goal gave the Stars a 2-1 lead.
After Iowa and Texas traded goals in the second period, the Stars held a 2-1 lead as both teams prepared for the third period. The Wild outshot the Stars 16-6 in the second period and led 24-19 in shots through two periods.
Rau deflected a point shot off the stick of Wild defenseman Brenden Miller past Scheel to tie the game 2-2 44-seconds into the third period. Miller and Wild defenseman Jon Lizotte were credited with assists on the play.
Texas forward Rhett Gardner shoveled a puck past McIntyre at 12:44 of the third period. His goal gave the Stars a one goal lead for the third time in the game and they led 3-2.
Just over one-minute later, McLeod banged home a rebound chance created by a shot from Wild forward Nolan Stevens at 13:47 of the third period to tie the game 3-3. Stevens and Wild defenseman Dakota Mermis recorded assists on the goal.
Neither the Wild nor the Stars broke the 3-3 tie before the end of regulation and both teams headed into overtime. Shots in the third period were 10-7 in favor of Texas. Iowa held a 31-29 edge in total shots at the end of regulation.
Following an overtime period in which the Wild successfully defended on a 5-on-3 power play opportunity for the Stars, Iowa and Texas surged into a shootout. The Stars outshot the Wild 4-1 in the overtime period and 33-32 overall.
Stars forward Tanner Kero and Wild forward Connor Dewar each scored on their respective team’s first shootout attempt. Next, Texas’ Anthony Louis, Ty Dellandrea, Fredrik Karlstrom, Rhett Gardner, and Joel L’Esperance and Iowa’s Marco Rossi, Kyle Rau, Mitchell Chaffee and Adam Beckman all failed to score before Iowa forward Nick Swaney lifted a shot over a sprawling Scheel to give the Wild to a 4-3 victory in the sixth round of the shootout.
Neither team scored on the power play on the night as Iowa was 0-for-1 and Texas was 0-for-6.
Next on the schedule for the Wild, a second straight matchup with the Stars on Sunday, Apr. 10 at 5:00 p.m. CT.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com. Fans can purchase single-game tickets through the team’s website at www.iowawild.com. Group tickets (10 or more), suites, Wild 365 memberships or premium tickets can be purchased by contacting the Iowa Wild Ticket Department at (515) 564-8700 or tickets@iowawild.com. The 2022-23 season marks the 10th anniversary of Iowa Wild hockey. Fans can purchase season tickets for the 10th anniversary season at https://www.iowawild.com/wild-365.
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