WILD TAKE THIRD STRAIGHT FROM STARS IN 5-2 WIN
Apr 3, 2021
Iowa Wild (9-9-3-0, 19 pts.) won their third straight matchup with the Texas Stars (10-9-2-0, 22 pts.) by a final score of 5-2 at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas on Saturday Night. Forward Will Bitten had a goal and two assists and rookie forward Bryce Misley scored his first professional goal in the win.
The Wild scored first for the fifth game in a row to gain a 1-0 lead. At 10:32 of the first period, forward Mitch McLain sent the puck on net and Bitten found the rebound at the right post and beat Stars’ goaltender Tomas Sholl (40 saves). Defensemen Calen Addison collected the secondary assist on Bitten’s first goal of the season to extend his point streak to five games.
Iowa struck again at 10:55 of the first period. Forward Connor Dewar sent a pass across the slot to forward Damien Giroux who finished to extend the lead to 2-0. Forward Mitchell Chaffee grabbed the secondary assist on the tally.
The Stars got on the scoreboard soon after at 11:23 of the first period. Forward Adam Mascherin sent a rebound opportunity past Wild goaltender Hunter Jones (21 saves) to make it 2-1.
After the first period, Iowa led 2-1 and outshot the Stars 13-8.
The Wild extended their lead at 3:19 of the second period. Bitten found two of his own rebounds and McLain finished the third rebound past Sholl. Giroux notched the second assist on the goal.
Misley scored his first professional goal at 9:19 of the second period to make it 4-1. Iowa forwards Jarrett Burton and Cody McLeod banged away at rebound chances in front of the net and after the puck popped loose at the right post Misley sent it over Sholl who was sprawled out in the crease.
At 17:29 of the second period, Burton sent a blast from the top of the left circle under Sholl’s blocker to extend the Wild lead to 5-1. Bitten collected the lone assist on the goal.
At the conclusion of the second period, Iowa led 5-1 and outshot Texas 25-4 in the stanza for a 38-12 total lead in shots.
The Stars cut the Wild’s lead back to three goals at 14:48 of the third period. Defenseman Julius Honka found the back of the net from the left circle to make it 5-2.
Texas scored the only goal of the third period and Iowa held onto the 5-2 lead through the end of the game, securing seven of a possible eight points in the four-game set with the Stars. Texas outshot Iowa in the third period 11-7 but Iowa finished with the total edge in shots 45-23, their most shots on goal in a game so far this season.
Both teams were unsuccessful on the power play in the game as Iowa went 0-3 and Texas went 0-4 on the man-advantage. The Wild finished the four-game stretch with Texas 21-21 on the penalty kill.
The Wild return home to face the Chicago Wolves on Friday, Apr. 9. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com. (Photo courtesy of Texas Stars).
###