IOWA DROPS GAME TO TEXAS 4-2
Mar 7, 2018Wild forward Zack Mitchell extends goal streak to three games
CEDAR PARK, TEXAS – Iowa Wild (27-18-8-4; 66 points) fell to Texas Stars (31-21-5-3; 70 points) 4-2 Wednesday night at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. The loss gives the team a 1-2-1-1 record on the road trip.
For the first time in seven games, Iowa got on the board first with a breakaway goal from forward Kurtis Gabriel. Defenseman Alex Grant, standing below the Wild’s goal line, sprung Gabriel with a lead pass as he split the Texas defense. Going in all alone, Gabriel snapped a shot past Landon Bow (20 saves) for his third of the season. His goal came just 56 seconds into the game and defenseman Zach Palmquist earned the secondary assist.
Texas forward Sheldon Dries notched the game even at 1-1 with his 13th goal of the season at 8:41 in the opening frame. From below the goal line on the left wing side, Dries threw the puck on net, which bounced off the skate of Niklas Svedberg (29 saves) and trickled over the goal line.
At 16:48 in the first period, Wild forward Zack Mitchell recorded his third goal and fifth point in three games with his tally on the power play. Grant sent a cross-ice pass to defenseman Ryan Murphy, who directed a slap pass on net. Mitchell, standing in the slot, deflected the puck between Bow’s legs and into the back of the net.
The teams headed into the first intermission with Iowa leading 2-1 and shots tied at 11.
The Stars pulled away from the Wild with three unanswered goals in the second period. Texas forward Colin Markison kicked off the period with his sixth goal of the season just 34 seconds into the middle stanza. Defenseman Gavin Bayreuther took a shot from the blue line, which was initially saved by Svedberg. The rebound bounced off Markison’s glove, over Svedberg and into the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2.
The Stars took the lead at 7:13 with a shorthanded goal from forward Austin Fyten. Markison broke free with a breakaway, where Svedberg came out to challenge the scoring chance. Svedberg made a sliding poke check, but Fyten cashed in on the rebound for the game-winning goal.
At 17:49 in the second period, forward Justin Dowling registered his 10th tally of the campaign to give Texas the 4-2 lead. Dowling received a pass from Markison and using the Wild defense as a screen, snuck a shot over Svedberg’s right shoulder short side.
At the end of the second, Texas had a 4-2 lead and a 26-21 shot advantage. The score held during a goalless third period, giving Iowa just its second regulation loss when scoring first.
The Wild concludes its six-game road trip with a contest against San Antonio Friday. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.
The Iowa Wild 2017-18 season is presented by Mercy Medical Center and runs from October through April. For more information, please contact the Wild office by calling 515-564-8700 or by visiting www.iowawild.com.