Stars Stunned Late by Rampage in 4-2 Loss

Feb 2, 2018

Boxscore Photos Video Three Stars: 1. Butler (SA) 2. .Sundqvist (SA) 3. Husso (SA) Shots: Stars - 27 Rampage - 28 Goaltenders: W - McKenna L - Husso

SAN ANTONIO - A pair of shorthanded goals pushed the Texas Stars in front early, but the San Antonio Rampage chipped away and rallied in the third for a 4-2 win on Friday night at AT&T Center in front of 9,585 fans in attendance.

Chris Butler's power-play goal midway through the third held up as the game-winner. Austin Fyten and Brian Flynn both scored shorthanded for Texas. Ville Husso earned his eighth win in his last 13 games for the Rampage with 25 saves. Mike McKenna suffered the loss stopping 24 shots.

The Stars (24-17-4-2) and Rampage (24-17-4-0) wrap up their home-and-home set Saturday at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park at 7 p.m. CST.

Both teams combined for six power-play chances in the opening period, but Fyten's shorthanded goal 90 seconds into the game to put the Stars in front, 1-0, was the only offense seen. Colin Markison's forced turnover at the Rampage blue line created a two-man break to give Texas the opening goal.

Just under four minutes into the second, Flynn picked up the puck at center ice of another San Antonio miscue and beat Husso with a backhand shot through the left circle, but the Rampage caught a break to quickly return fire. Samuel Blais missed the net on a chance from the right cirlce, however the puck bounced off the back boards and hit the back of McKenna to enter the net and make it a 2-1 game.

Trent Vogelhuber then tallied a shorthanded goal of his own 5:53 into the third to knot the score for the Rampage and Butler drilled a shot off the post from the top of the left circle to push San Antonio in front for good. Oskar Sundqvist added a late power-play goal for the Rampage in his season debut.

The Stars finished 0-for-5 on the power play. San Antonio went 1-for-7.

Photo Credit: Darren Abate