STARS COMPLETE SWEEP OF HEAT WITH 9-2 WIN
KENT, WA. – The Stars (4-1-0) won their third consecutive game with a 9-2 drubbing of the visiting Harrisburg Heat (1-6-0) at the accesso ShoWare Center Sunday evening. With the win, Tacoma completed a two-game sweep of the Heat by a combined score of 19-6. Stars’ keeper Danny Waltman held Harrisburg scoreless for the first half and collected eight saves in his fourth win of the season.
A pair of Stars collected their first MASL career goals and Fellipe Souza notched a hat trick on the night.
In Saturday Night’s game, Harrisburg jumped out to a quick start and tonight it was Tacoma’s turn as they built a 3-0 lead before halftime. Tyler John opened the scoring just over a minute into the game and Tacoma controlled the tempo for most of the opening frame.
The first rookie to net his first goal was Roman ‘Chiva’ Ramirez who converted on a Logan Jones assist and they made it a 2-0 Stars’ lead with 4:38 to go in the 1st quarter.
The score stayed that way until Jones sent home the only goal of the 2nd quarter with 4:12 to go in the half.
Souza’s first of three goals built the Tacoma lead to 4-0 before the Heat answered. Robert Williamson scored his second of the season for Harrisburg to cut Tacoma’s lead to 4-1 with 4:31 on the clock in the 3rd.
That time was long enough for the Stars to strike twice, first when Gil De La Luz picked up his second assist of the game, this time on a goal from Nick Perera. Perera extended his point streak to five games for the 2022-23 season.
The last goal of the quarter may have been the final dagger in the game as Souza scored his second of the night with just two seconds left to play in the 3rd. Tacoma took a 6-1 lead to the final quarter.
Harrisburg head coach Pat Healey pulled Heat goalkeeper Darian McCauley in favor of their sixth attacker, Danny DiPrima. The move paid off quickly when DiPrima struck for a goal 42 seconds into the quarter.
Perera, second all-time in the MASL in assists, added another to his total when he sent a pass to Souza who completed his hat trick on a power play goal to make it a 7-2 Stars lead with 9:34 remaining.
Nani Mendoza became the second Tacoma player to score his first MASL goal when he converted on an empty net goal from just inside midfield to stretch the lead to 8-2.
The game’s final goal came courtesy of Perera for his eighth point of the two-game series and put the exclamation point on the 9-2 final.
The Stars are off to Mexico for their next two games with dates in Chihuahua on January 20 and Monterrey on January 22. Both games will be available on MASLtv Twitch channels.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st – TAC John (De La Luz) 1:11; TAC Ramirez (Jones) 10:32. Penalties – None.
2nd – Jones 10:48. Penalties – None.
3rd – TAC Souza (Ramos) 6:11 pp; HAR Williamson 10:29; TAC Perera (De La Luz) 12:47; TAC Souza 14:57. Penalties – HAR Harris (bc- kicking) 5:29.
4th – HAR DiPrima (Araujo) 0:42 six attackers; TAC Souza (Perera) 5:26 pp; TAC Mendoza 6:39 en; TAC Perera (John) 8:18. Penalties – HAR Williamson (bc- tripping) 4:36.
Power Play – Stars 2/2, Harrisburg 0/0
Shots – Stars 22, Harrisburg 15
Fouls – Stars 12, Harrisburg 17
Attendance – 696
The Stars return to the accesso ShoWare Center for two games against the Empire Strykers on January 27 and 29. Tickets to both games are available at tacomastars.showare.com now!
Select suites are still available for some games. Enjoy a Stars game with your family and friends in your own private suite! For more information call 1-844-STARS-84 today.
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