Gulls Fly Away in the Third in 6-3 Texas Loss

Dec 29, 2017

Boxscore Photos Video Three Stars: 1. Fehr (SD) 2. Dries (TEX) 3. Kossila (SD) Shots: Stars - 36 Gulls - 34 Goaltenders: W - Boyle L - Bow

CEDAR PARK, Texas - The Texas Stars closed the deficit to one early in the third, but three straight goals by the San Diego Gulls closed the door on the comeback attempt in a 6-3 final in front of 6,421 in attendance at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park on Saturday night.

Eric Fehr tallied a pair of goals for San Diego, including the game-winner. Sheldon Dries scored early in third to pull Texas back within one, just 13 seconds after the Gulls took a 3-1 advantage. San Diego swung the momentum on their side for good after killing off a 41-second, two-man advantage shortly after the Stars made it a one-goal contest and remainder of the power play after that point.

Texas (18-12-3-1) and San Diego (15-12-1-0) face off again Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. CST.

The Gulls used their top-ranked power play unit to open the scoring at 13:24 of period one when Kalle Kossila knocked home a rebound chance for his eighth of the season and a 1-0 San Diego lead.

Texas finally broke through with four minutes remaining in the second when Denis Gurianov stuffed home a power-play goal at the right post for his fourth of the season, but Fehr responded for the Gulls 45 seconds later with his first of the game on a loose puck in front to make it 2-1, Gulls.

In the third, Nic Kerdiles scored 1:24 into the period before Sheldon Dries snapped home a rebound chance in the slot for his ninth of the season. Fehr's second goal came on the power play in the slot midway through the frame to make it 4-2 San Diego. Deven Sideroff tapped home a loose puck with just under eight minutes remaining after a broken play in the middle of the Texas zone left a wide-open net for the forward. 

Dennis Rasmussen added an empty-net goal late for the Gulls. Tommy Thompson tallied his first career AHL goal for the Stars on a rebound chance with a minute remaining.

San Diego finished 2-for-3 on the power play. Texas went 1-for-7. Landon Bow suffered the loss stopping 28 of 33 shots. Kevin Boyle earned the win stopping 33 of 36.

Photo Credit: Derek Sparta/Texas Stars