Streak Hits Three As Stars Drop Another

The Prep Stars remain struggling in between: in between good and bad, emotional and lack-lustre, intense and passive. Another spell of 10 minutes cost the Stars in full as they brought up the rear in a 5-1 loss to U-20 powerhouse KAC.

Coming off of the heels of their second defeat in a row to Zell Am See, the Stars were hoping to rebound against the Karnten team, but their inability to remain disciplined along with a sloppy defensive zone kept the losing streak – and the frustration – alive for the squad. Despite a very solid game from Johann Bauer, the Stars simply let the game get out of hand and didn’t stick to the game plan.

In the first frame the two teams played a fairly even first half, with KAC netting the only goal in the first ten minutes on the powerplay. With Stefan Hrdina in the box for cross-checking, the Athletic Club buried with the man advantage to take a 1-0 lead. Shortly thereafter, the wheels fell off. In a span of seven-and-a-half minutes, the Stars gave up three more goals and were suddenly facing a four goal deficit.

After a “spirited pep-talk” in between the first and second, the Stars responded with a more sound effort, but still struggled to gain ground. After Fritz Schroder (Leisser, Kläy) got the Stars on the board, KAC regained the four-goal lead just minutes later. After forty minutes, and consequently 60 minutes, the score remained 5-1.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting that,” mired O’Leary after the loss. “Our first point was discipline, and we certainly were far away from that. We just weren’t ready from the moment we arrived today, and we cannot accept that.” Johann Bauer was tremendous in goal, helping the Stars avoid what could have been catastrophe, instead keeping the game to a mere lesson in passion. “We were unfocused today, and we lacked passion. Passion in play, passion to compete, passion to test.”

The Stars will look to rebound against Salzburg on Saturday, as they travel to the heart of Austria for a matinee contest. After that, a rubber match with EAC on docket should whet the appetite of the Stars as they look to get back in the win column.

L.A. Prep Stars 1 vs. KAC 5 (0:4; 1:1; 0:0)