Des Moines, IA - Texas Stars rookie goalie Matt Murray put the fortunes of the team's fate on his shoulders and stared down 38 Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild affiliate) shots while Iowa's Zane McIntyre matched him save-for-save, until Joel L'Esperance saved the offensive heroics for late and scored the lone goal of the contest with 3:26 left, leading Texas to a clutch 1-0 win over Iowa Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena.
With Iowa holding a one game lead on Texas for the fifth-and-final playoff spot in the Central Division, the teams opened a crucial two-game series, a series that will likely determine the postseason future for both teams.