STARS AND SAVAGE SET TO PLAY TWO THIS WEEKEND

TACOMA, WA. – The Stars (5-6-0) continue their dance with the .500 mark as they welcome the Chihuahua Savage (10-2-1) to the accesso ShoWare Center for the first of two weekend games on Friday night. The game will mark the halfway point of the 2022-23 regular season for Tacoma.

Tacoma trails the Monterrey Flash by five points for the fifth and final Western Conference playoff spot but their remaining schedule will do them no favors as 10 of their 13 games yet to be played are against teams with winning records. They begin that trek with a pair of games against a Savage team they are still looking for the first win against. Tacoma is 0-5 all-time against their opponent from south of the border.

Chihuahua is 2-0 against the Stars at the accesso ShoWare Center with wins last season by 9-2 and 8-6 finals.  Both Tacoma and the Savage come into Friday’s game looking to rebound from losses their last time out. The Stars dropped a 6-3 decision to the San Diego Sockers at home last Saturday while the Savage came up a goal short in Mesquite in a 6-5 loss.

It will be Latin Heritage Night at the accesso ShoWare Center on Friday with Sunday’s game being a nod towards local heroes during the Stars’ First-Responder Appreciation Game. Sound Credit Union is sponsoring a beanie giveaway during the weekend’s second game as well.

Nick Perera leads Tacoma entering the weekend with 21 points (11G-10A) with Jamael Cox (8G-4A) and Mike Ramos (7G-5A) tied for second on the squad with 12 points each. They are the only three players with 10+ point production so far though Philip Lund (4G-5A) and Alex Caceres (3G-6A) are both just a point shy of that mark.

In goal for Tacoma, Danny Waltman (5-6-0, 5.51 GAA, .703 save%) has started all 11 games this season. Waltman’s counterpart for Chihuahua, Berna Valdovinos boasts a 9-1-1 record with a 4.25 GAA and .655 save%. Valdovinos also scored a pair of goals against the Stars in their last meeting on January 20 in Chihuahua that ended with a 6-3 Savage win.

The Savage bring seven players with 10+ seasons, led by Edgar González and his 22 points (17G-5A). Enrique Cañez (13G-5A), Roberto Escalante (10G-6A), and Hugo Puentes (9G-7A) round out the top scorers for Chihuahua.

Game time is 7:35 pm on Friday with a 5:05 pm kick-off scheduled for Sunday.

Tickets for this weekend and all Tacoma Stars games are available at www.tacomastars.com/tickets.