The highly anticipated match-up between the L.A. Stars and the Langnau Tigers lived up to its billing on Thursday night. With the two teams coming into the tournament without knowing each other, there were two people in particular who were squarely focused on this date: Stars captain Fabio Kläy and second year goaltender Sandro Aeschlimann. Both players once starred for the Swiss club, but left in search of a different development path. Once questioned about the decision, the two Swiss players were eager to prove tat they were fairing well, and that the decision was one they didn't regret. 

Aeschlimann got the start in goal, and the game started off in fine fashion with the Stars establishing a vicious forecheck. The pace was pretty hectic, and with the Stars carrying the play physically and zone wise, a turn-over  on the half-wall costed the Stars, as Langnau buried, giving the 600 fans the first goal of the game. Not long after, a misplayed clear on the penalty kill cost the Stars again, and the Tigers had themselves a solid 2-0 lead at period's end.

A rejuvenated Stars team came out in the second, battling hard. The line of Karachun-Richter-Houben were a threat almost every shift on the ice, and it paid dividends, as Houben, with a great feed from Richter, got the Stars on the board, as he buried on a breakaway deke that left the goaltender's eyes bobbling and dizzy. The Stars were then on the offensive for the remainder of the period, but couldn't seem to beat the Tigers goalie. Withe just under four minutes remaining, a bad pinch by the Stars' defense left a 3-on-1 for the Tigers, and they made no mistake, pounding home a shot that established a 3-1 lead that the Tigers carried into the dressing room.

In the third period, however, the Stars left nothing, pulling out all of the stops. it was Kläy, who got a tremendous pass from Sam Antonitsch, that closed the gap to within one. The Stars could not bury, however, and the Tigers held on to a 3-2 victory, giving the Stars their first loss of their tournament, and keeping the Tigers' hopes of a berth on the finals alive.

"I thought we played pretty well," O'Leary commented. "we really held an advantage in all areas except where it counted: in goals. We outhit them, outshot them, won more face-offs, and held an advantage in zone time... We just couldn't score on our opportunities. I thought it was a heck of a game, but we were just on the wrong side of it." 

The Stars will now face HC Trnava, the Slovakian Team that defeated the Tigers the night before, in hopes of getting a berth in the finals.

L.A. Stars Prep 2 - SC Langnau Tigers 3 (0:2; 1:1; 1:0)