GRAND CHUTE - In what is becoming a broken record, the Fox Cities Stars (15-1) get off to a fast start, pile on the goals, and win a game going away. That has been the theme for this team most of the season, and the storyline continued on Friday at the Champions Center in Grand Chute as the Arrowhead Warhawks (9-7) were the Stars' next victim.
Making the trek north for what looked to be an exciting game on paper, it was the Stars continuing to go about their business as their impressive season rolled on. After watching the Warhawks tie things up early on in the first, it was all Fox Cities from there as they took the lead later in the first and never looked back, ending the game with 10 unanswered goals to pick up the 11-1 win.
Anytime you can put 49 shots on goal, which was the case for Fox Cities, it goes to show the relentless offense this team has had all season, as Jack Adair and Oscar Henizel were on their toes from the start. Adair specifically found out just how fast the Stars offense can get rolling with Kellan Muprhy taking the Jake Koller pass to find the back of the net as Fox Cities opened up a quick 1-0 lead just one minute into the game.
Not about to go down without a fight, it was the Warhawks turning the pressure up the next few minutes, resulting in an even-strength goal from Alex Jenson to make things 1-1 less than four minutes in. That was it when it came to the Warhawks' offense as Elliott Reichenbacher stood tall for 26 saves, including stopping the final 25 shots he faced after that goal. After opening the game with a goal one minute in, Murphy was involved a few minutes later as he combined with Jack Blair on the assists with Parker Janssen putting the Stars on top for good, 2-1, which is where things would stand after one period of play.
It was in the second period when the Stars' offense started to come to life as they left the Warhawks' defense searching for answers the rest of the way. Less than two minutes into the second, the Stars took what was a 2-1 game and turned it into a 4-1 advantage with Cale Adamovich striking first with Murphy adding his second tally shortly after. As was the case after their two-goal first period, it was the Warhawks' defense toughing up as they held Fox Cities scoreless for nearly the rest of the second period. That was until a pair of late goals from Preston McGinnis and Andrew Ostermann capped off the four-goal second as the Stars broke things open 6-1 after two.
Despite having another game seemingly in hand after two periods, the Stars were in the mindset to let up in the third, as it was their offense continuing to set the tone on the ice. Cale Adamovich did what Adamovich does during that final period as he added a Power Play goal just three minutes into the third to push the Fox Cities lead to 7-1. That was the start of what was three consecutive goals for Adamovich in the third to push the lead to 9-1, and finished the game with four goals and one assist.
Another strong defensive effort from the Warhawks followed that three-goal outburst, but as the third period was winding down, you could start to see the fatigue setting in on the ice. The result, two more late goals from the Stars' relentless attack, with Koller adding his second goal of the night at the 14:55 mark and Xander Herron capping things off 10 seconds later to give the Stars another convincing 11-1 win.