To end the first period, the H-E-B Center was electric. In the span of 16 seconds, the Texas Stars had scored twice and led 2-0 after twenty. It would be the last bit of joy on the evening for near-capacity crowd in Cedar Park.
"Of all our losses this year, that's probably the most disappointing one," said Stars' captain Curtis McKenzie. "That's a game that we have a chance to close out, in the third period up by a goal at home. We just have to find a way to clamp down."
Things fell apart rapidly for Texas late in the second period and into the third as Bakersfield pushed back with a three-goal scoring binge in just over eight elapsed minutes of game time to go ahead and ultimately win the contest 4-2.