L.A. Stars Varsity: The weekend
The LA Stars Varsity took their fortunes on the road Saturday, travelling up the road to Linz.
The boys struggled in the first period spotting the hosts a 3-0 lead after twenty minutes. A better effort in the second paid off for the Stars as Marton Ladanyi opened the scoring 40 seconds into the frame with Gabor Belenyesi and Mathias Kastner providing the assists.
Ricco Ratajczyk put up a second marker seven minutes later with help from Gonzalo Ruiz and Renis Skorovs. The Stars pulled even when Kastner buried with Ladanyi and Daniel Gysi providing the help.
The third in Linz was a back and forth affair. The Stars took their first lead of the game on an unassisted goal by Marvin Alena. The Linz squad tied the game a minute later making for a exciting finish! The stars pulled ahead again on a goal by Luka Znidarsic. The lead only lasted six minutes before the Linz club tied he game with two minutes to play. Not wanting to settle for the tie the Stars press for the winning goal. In the end this proved costly as Linz caught the Stars up ice and broke in for the game winner in the last minute of play.
The buzzer sounded with a disappointed LA Stars team left wondering what had happened! Hopefully, the boys will learn from this tough loss.
Not much time to rebound as the Stars host Innsbruck at noon on Sunday.
Less than 14 hours after leaving the ice a disappointed group, the LA Stars Varsity needed to come up with a good effort against the travelling Innsbruck squad. A win on Sunday would bring the Stars back to a five hundred record, not to mention the boost it would provide in the early stages of this hockey season.
Getting off to their best start of the season, Gabor Belenyesi tallied on the first shift, 46 second into the match with Marton Ladanyi assisting. Innsbruck answered back before Luka Znidarsic was sent in on a break by Mathias Kastner to notch a shorthanded marker for the Stars. The teams traded goals in the second, with Ricco Ratajczyk as the marksman for the home team with Sam Antonitsch and Znidarsic getting the assists.
Things were set for another exciting finish for the LA Stars. Could the Starts find a way to get the victory? On the strength of goals by Marvin Alena and Phillip Pöschmann, with Antonitsch and Ratajczyk (2) assisting, along with solid goaltending and a gritty effort the Stars posted their second win of the season.
