Eagles Rally Comes up Short in 4-2 Loss at Texas

Eagles Rally Comes up Short in 4-2 Loss at Texas

Mar 12, 2021

CEDAR PARK, TX. – The Colorado Eagles found themselves in an early 2-0 deficit but picked up goals from forwards Mike Vecchione and Miikka Salomaki to tighten the score, before ultimately falling in a 4-2 loss at Texas on Friday. Salomaki and defenseman Matt Abt each registered two-point performances in the loss, as Stars goalie Landon Bow made several critical saves to help preserve the win for Texas.

The Stars wasted little time in netting the game’s first goal, as forward Josh Melnick would collect a centering pass between the circles and snap a wrister past Eagles goalie Adam Werner to give Texas a 1-0 edge just 34 seconds into the contest.

The deficit would grow when forward Tye Felhaber camped out at the side of the cage and banked a pass from Joseph Cecconi into the back of the net to put the Stars on top, 2-0 at the 3:44 mark of the first period.

Colorado would finally swing the momentum when Vecchione deflected a shot from the point past Bow, cutting the Stars lead to 2-1 with 6:33 remaining in the opening 20 minutes of the contest.

Still trailing 2-1 after one period, the Eagles would dominate play in the middle frame, outshooting Texas, 10-3. Bow would make several timely saves, however, and the two teams would head to the second intermission with the Stars still leading, 2-1.

A turnover near the Eagles blue line would set up Texas forward Jake Slaker to cruise through the right-wing circle before snapping a shot past Werner to extend the Stars lead to 3-1 at the 2:19 mark of the third period.

Colorado would slice the hole back down to one goal when Salomaki raced into the zone, cut to the crease and fed a puck off of Bow and into the net to trim the Texas advantage to 3-2 with 14:58 still to play in regulation.

The Eagles earned a late power play and pulled Werner to make it a 6-on-4 advantage. However, it would be Melnick who would capitalize when he iced the game with an empty-netter with less than one second to play in the contest.

Colorado outshot the Stars in the game 27-19, finishing the night a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill but going 0-for-4 on the power play. 

Colorado will return to action when the Eagles take on the Texas Stars at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas on Saturday, March 13th at 6:00pm MT. Fans can catch every game this season live on “The Home of the Colorado Eagles,” 92.9 The Bear or on AHLTV. 

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