Cedar Park, TX— Goalie Matt Murray stopped 30 shots to lead the Admirals to a 4-0 win over the Texas Stars Sunday at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.
Murray, who played the first 71 games of his American Hockey League for the Stars, earned his first shutout of the season. It was the sixth shutout of his career. Murray was playing his first game in his old building since Apr. 7, 2024. He beat the Admirals while a member of the Stars that game, 3-1.
Milwaukee scored a pair of first-period goals to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Anthony Angello scored his fifth goal of the season at 5:54 with a shot from the left circle that beat goalie Magnus Hellberg low to the glove side. Angello’s goal was unassisted.
Milwaukee’s Ryder Rolston scored his fifth goal of the season after a Texas turnover at their blue line. Ozzy Wiesblatt whipped a pass to Cal O’Reilly near the goal mouth. O’Reilly tapped the puck right and Rolston buried the shot from between the circles at 7:58 of the opening frame. The assist was O’Reilly’s 750th career AHL point and his 299th point for the Admirals.
The Admirals outshot the Stars 14-3 in the first period. The three shots allowed were the fewest in a period for the Ads this season.
Admirals center Jake Lucchini scored his ninth goal of the season at 12:39 of the second period to stretch the lead to 3-0. Joakim Kemell spun with possession at the right point after receiving a pass from Jack Matier. He left the puck for Lucchini, who moved to the middle of the blue line and whipped a shot toward the goal. With Anders Bjork screening Hellberg, Lucchini’s shot went inside the left post for the tally.
Texas put 20 shots on goal in the third period but Murray stopped all of them. O’Reilly scored a shorthanded empty-net goal at 17:53 of the third to close the scoring. It was O’Reilly’s 300th career point with the Admirals.
The Admirals return home to UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena Wed., Jan. 22 to host Rockford.