Texas Smothered by Stockton in 4-1 Final
Feb 26, 2017
Ethan Werek Scores Lone Goal for Texas
STOCKTON, Cali. -- Goaltender David Rittich and the Stockton Heat put the clamps on the Texas Stars power play to hand the Stars a 4-1 loss on Sunday night in front of 4,579 in attendance at Stockton Arena.
Rittich stopped 27 of 28 shots in net for the Heat (21-22-4-1) and helped hold the Stars (24-25-1-2) scoreless on seven power play opportunities in the game. Ethan Werek was the lone goal-scorer for Stars with his sixth of the season. Justin Peters suffered the loss stopping 25 of 28 shots for Texas.
Texas continues their season-long road trip on Tuesday at Bakersfield at 9 p.m. CST.
The Stars opened up the game on a first-period flurry, and drew two power plays, but Rittich weathered the storm for Stockton's Daniel Pribyl to begin the game's scoring with his fifth of the season off a Texas turnover at 7:45 of the first.
Werek knotted the score at 4:37 of the second from Jason Dickinson's centering pass, but Mark Jankowski responded just over a minute later for the Heat to regain the 2-1 lead on a rebound chance.
In the third, Hunter Smith tipped home Linden Vey's whiffed shot attempt from the slot at 6:55. Garnet Hathaway added an empty-net power play goal for the Heat with a minute to play.
Stockton finished 1-for-6 on the power play in the game.
Texas' Dustin Stevenson also tallied an assist on Werek's goal.
Three Stars:
1. Rittich (STK)
2. Jankowski (STK)
3. Smith (STK) |
Goaltenders:
W - Rittich
L - Peters
|
Photo Credit: Stockton Heat