STARS SMASH FURY 8-5

by Pete Richmire

KENT, WA. – The Tacoma Stars (5-4) snapped a three-game losing streak in convincing fashion with an 8-5 win over the Ontario Fury (6-5) in front of 2,673 fans Saturday night. The win raises Tacoma’s season series record to 2-1 over Ontario.

Despite the outcome, Ontario jumped on the Stars early on a Tony Walls goal just 44 seconds into the match. Cory Keitz leveled the game 1-1 on the first of Nick Perera’s five assists on the night to close with 11:45 left in the opening frame. Milan Ivanovic picked up his first goal as a Star unassisted with 8:52 on the clock. Dallin Cutler knocked the next goal in for Ontario and the teams were tied 2-2 after one quarter. 

The second quarter belonged to the Stars with three unanswered goals off the feet of Perera, Philip Lund and Cory Keitz. The Stars went into halftime with a 5-2 lead over the Fury.

Tacoma would build on that lead in the third with a Lund power play goal and Joey Gjersten’s fourth of the season. With the Stars up 7-2, Adrien Perez scored for Ontario to close out scoring in the third quarter. 

Walls’ second goal of the match for the Fury cut Tacoma’s lead to 7-4 with 12:08 left in the game. Jamael Cox scored his sixth of the season on Perera’s fifth assist with 4:24 left to play. Perez added a goal for Ontario to finish scoring for the game.