Cedar Park, TX – The Texas Stars rallied from a one goal deficit, scoring two goals in the second to defeat the Iowa Wild on Saturday, 3-2. Tomas Sholl was brilliant in net, making 26 saves and Riley Damiani added assists on both of the second period goals. Dereck Baribeau made 29 saves for Iowa. The Wild dropped to 3-4-1.

Iowa got on the board first as Joseph Cramarossa scored his second goal of the year 10:41 into the contest. The tally was setup when Ian McCoshen made a great play to intercept a pass in the neutral zone, then led a push back into the Stars zone. He dished it across to Cody McLeod, who centered the puck into the slot, but Cramarossa could not get his stick on it. McCoshen raced from the blueline to corral the loose puck near the left faceoff circle, then fired a shot that Sholl saved but Cramarossa was right there to put the rebound in to give Iowa a 1-0 lead.

Just before the 15-minute mark Texas tied the score. A bad giveaway in the Iowa end put the puck on the stick of Jake Slaker. He tipped it ahead to Nick Moutrey who fired a shot that Baribeau saved but the puck crept through his pad and just past the goal mouth. Nick Baptiste raced over and gained control, putting it in front where the puck hit off an Iowa defender and went in. Baptiste was credited with his second goal of the season.

It looked like this contest was heading to the first intermission tied at one, but Gabriel Dumont put the Wild back on top, netting a power play goal with eight seconds left in the period. Conor Dewar moved in on Sholl, firing a shot from just inside the left faceoff circle. The Texas netminder made the save, but the rebound came to Dumont who put the puck in for his fifth goal of the year. For Dumont, that gave him points in nine straight games, longest streak in the AHL this season.

The Wild were flying high thanks to the late goal, but it would be the Stars who came out shinning in the second, scoring two goals to take the lead. The first came at 1:42. Ben Gleason passed the puck to Damiani who was along the boards. He found Adam Mascherin in the high slot, who blasted a one-timer by Baribeau for his fourth goal of the season.

🚨🚨 TIE GAME! 🚨🚨 Masch levels the score at 2 early in the 2nd! pic.twitter.com/MOZzEzLDnd

— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) February 28, 2021

With 2:44 left, it would be the Stars chance to add the late goal. Damiani had the puck near the right faceoff circle. He made a pass across the slot to Tye Felhaber at the back door, who redirected the puck in for his third goal. That gave Texas their first lead of the game.

In the third, the Stars totally dominated play, outshooting Iowa 12-6. Baribeau had to make a number of big saves, including at 3:05 when Damiani was alone in the slot, firing a wrist shot that the Wild netminder gloved.

Baribeau had been solid, but Sholl was the difference in this game. After allowing the two first period goals, he was dominate, stopping 16 shots over the final two periods. The victory for Texas moved Sholl to 2-1-0 on the season. He now has a 2.69 goals against average.

Iowa heads to Rockford to take on the IceHogs (1-6-1) on Saturday. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 6:00.

Gamesheet

By Robert Pannier