Dec 27, 2025

ROCKFORD, Illinois – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, dropped their first game of a three-game Midwest road trip 8-4 against the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday at the BMO Center.

Texas opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the game when Matthew Seminoff knocked in a rebound from the crease. Gavin Hayes put Rockford on the board three minutes later, and Jamie Englebert took advantage of chaos in front the Stars net to give the IceHogs the lead just over halfway through the frame.

Seminoff, who turned 22 on Saturday, scored on the power play for his first career multi-goal game. Cameron Hughes fed the puck to Seminoff from high in the slot and the Stars forward netted the equalizer from the left faceoff circle. Tristan Bertucci received the secondary helper to extend his assist streak to six games. In the waning seconds of the period, Dmitry Kuzmin beat the buzzer to put Rockford back in the lead.

The IceHogs added two more goals in the first two minutes of the second period, chasing Remi Poirier with the score 5-2. Arno Tiefensee came into the game in relief, but Hayes redirected a shot from the point for his second goal of the night, this time on the power play, to give the IceHogs a four-goal cushion after 40 minutes.

Englebert added his second of the game on a breakaway early in the third period to make it 7-2, but Antonio Stranges capitalized on a penalty shot with under eight minutes remaining to bring the Stars back to within four. Three minutes later Stranges sent the puck across the slot to Harrison Scott, who sent it sailing into the top left corner.

The Stars pulled Tiefensee for an extra attacker with four minutes left and the score 7-4, but Lombardi netted his second of the game into the empty net to complete the scoring.

Poirier was given the loss after allowing five goals on 19 shots. Tiefensee stopped 15 of 17 in 38 minutes of relief. Berezhnoy earned the win after stopping 19 of 23 shots.

The Stars will travel to Des Moines, Iowa to face-off against the Wild on Tuesday, Dec. 30 in their last two-game series of 2025. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. at Casey’s Center. Catch all the action on AHL TV on FloHockey.

The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.

Photo Credit: Kristin Ostrowski
 

Game Info   
  Shots   
        Goaltenders             
3 Stars (Ubeo Business Services)

Boxscore
TEX: 23
    W: Berezhnoy (RFD)
1: Hayes (RFD)

Photo
 RFD: 32
    L: Poirier (TEX)
2: Lombardi (RFD)

 
 
 
3: Engelbert (RFD)