Stars Pull Away From Express For 8-2 Victory

TACOMA, Wash. -- The Tacoma Stars (10-5) recorded their third consecutive victory, an 8-2 decision over the Turlock Express (2-10), on Friday night at the ShoWare Center.

Stars forwards Raphael Cox and Dan Antoniuk, along with defender Adam West all recorded braces for Tacoma, while West also tacked on an assist. Forward Joey Gjertsen netted one goal and added a pair of assists, and a solo goal from midfielder Troy Peterson rounded out the Stars offensive effort.

Tacoma goalkeeper Danny Waltman worked a clean first half and finished the match with five saves on seven shots.

The match stayed scoreless for 12 minutes before Cox burst through for a goal to give the Stars a 1-0 lead. A pair of goals from Antoniuk and a third from West extended Tacoma’s lead to 4-0 heading into halftime.

Turlock forward Sal Vergara and midfielder Adrian Plascencia struck for the only two Express goals of the match in the third quarter to cut the Stars lead to 4-2 heading into the fourth.

An onslaught of four goals in the final quarter from Tacoma, including a diving header from Cox, opened up the match and allowed the Stars to coast to an 8-2 victory. The Stars swept the season-series with Turlock 2-0 while out-scoring the Express 15-4.

Tacoma wraps up their three-game homestand with a match against the St. Louis Ambush next Friday, Feb. 5 at 7:35 p.m. PT.

Single game tickets, season ticket packages, group outings, and suite offerings for the Tacoma Stars 2015-16 season are available now. To purchase, call 1-844-STARS-TIME or visit the Stars online at www.tacomastars.com. The most up-to-date news and notes about the Stars can be found by following the Stars on Twitter (@TacomaStarsSC) or liking the team on Facebook.