Texas takes 2-1 series lead over Tucson with OT victory
Sheldon Dries scored with 6:24 remaining in overtime to lift the Texas Stars to a 5-4 win over Tucson in the third game of the Pacific division finals at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park on Monday night.
The win gives the Stars a 2-1 advantage in the best-ofseven series.
Brian Flynn, Jason Dickinson and Roope Hintz each scored and assisted on a goal in the contest for the Stars. Remi Elie had two assists on the night.
Dakota Mermis scored twice for Tucson while Carter Camper scored and assisted on two goals. Lawson Crouse assisted on three scores for the Roadrunners.
Texas took the lead in the first period on a goal by Hintz, assisted by Denis Gurianov and Flynn.
Mermis scored his first goal to tie the game early in the second period.
Back-to-back goals by Dickinson and Flynn put Texas up 3-1 later in the period. Tucson then scored again to pull within a goal, but Gavin Bayreuther made it 4-2 with less than three minutes remaining in the frame.
The Roadrunners got back in the game when Trevor Murphy scored with help from Conor Garland and Crouse at 3:48 into the third period.
Mermis scored his second of the night to tie the game at4-all with over five minutes remaining.
Mike McKenna picked up the win, making 33 saves on 37 shots. Adin Hill was charged with the loss as he allowed five goals to slip by on 32 shots.
The series will remain at the H-E-B Center for two more games. Wednesday’s contest starts at 7 p.m. crazy on our golf course.”
Texas A&M senior Maddie Szeryk shot 69 and leads the field at 7-under. The three closest in pursuit are from Arkansas — Dylan Kim (68) trails by one shot, Maria Fassi (70) is two off the lead and Kaylee Benton (68) is three strokes back.
Sophomore Emilee Hoffman is the top Longhorn at 3-under, tied for fifth place after shooting a 69. Senior Sophia Schubert (73) and sophomore Greta Isabella Voelker (72) are 2-under, tied for eighth.
Szeryk shot 69 on Tuesday after an opening-round 68 gave her a one-stroke lead. She made four birdies on the front nine, mostly with short putts, and then spent the rest of her round scrambling for pars, something she does very well.
On No. 18 she hit her second shot short of the green but made a nice chip, leaving herself a short putt for par.
“She just figures out a way to get it in the hole,” Aggies coach Trelle McCombs said. “It would not have surprised me if she would have chipped it in on the last hole.”
Szeryk hit her tee shot into a fairway bunker at No. 13. Her second shot caught the lip and emerged sideways on to the fairway.
“I thought I could clear it, and just barely hit it,” Szeryk said.
Szeryk hit her third shot on to the green and made a 12-footer for par. After her difficult escape from the bunker, Szeryk smacked a club against her golf bag, the type of display she is working to avoid, or at least mitigate.
“Being angry is not going to change anything,” Szeryk said. “You hit the shot and go from there and think how am I going to make par or bogey at worst? I’m still learning.”
Her mother, Karen, said that passion is a trait they share.
“She’s worked hard trying to learn to keep it steady,” Karen said. “She used to play soccer. It was great to have all that passion. But it doesn’t work well in golf.”
Four golfers could not compete on Tuesday. Three from East Carolina and one from Miami missed the round with a stomach illness. A fourth player from East Carolina competed while sick. Some coaches in the tournament also became ill.
UT Golf Club general manager Steve Termeer said a cause has not been identified.
“We served over 250 meals Monday,” Termeer said. “So we identified that it had nothing to do with the food we served.”