Dallas Stars Elite Dominate Colorado Thunderbirds with Third-Period Surge in 16U Championship Pool A Playoff
BLAINE, MN – The Dallas Stars Elite erupted in the second period and never looked back, securing a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Thunderbirds in Tier 1 Elite Hockey League 16U Championship Pool A action on February 14 at NSC Rink 2. A relentless offensive attack and stellar goaltending pushed Dallas past Colorado in a statement win.
First Period – Thunderbirds Strike First
Colorado opened the scoring at 7:03 when Ryland Cooke (#14) capitalized on a setup from Aidan Woller (#8) and Trevor Grazier (#21), giving the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead. Both teams battled for control throughout the rest of the frame, but the score held as goaltenders Aiden Eskit (#70) for Dallas and Maximillian Britton (#35) for Colorado kept opposing shooters at bay.
Second Period – Dallas Roars to Life with Three Goals
Dallas responded early in the second period, tying the game at 13:46 when Keaton Martin (#15) buried a goal off assists from Andrew Fox (#19) and Stryker Foster (#88). Just five minutes later, Martin struck again at 8:46, this time unassisted, giving the Stars their first lead of the game at 2-1.
The Stars continued their offensive assault late in the period, adding another goal at 3:58, with Chase Olson (#17) finding the back of the net off assists from Peter Amigh (#22) and Foster (#88). Dallas entered the third period with a commanding 3-1 lead.
Colorado managed to cut the deficit just before the buzzer, as Trevor Grazier (#21) scored with 28 seconds remaining, assisted by Enzo Sinha (#18) and Aidan Woller (#8), making it 3-2 heading into the final frame.
Third Period – Dallas Slams the Door
Dallas left no room for a comeback, putting the game out of reach with three unanswered goals in the third period. Dennis Emesibe (#11) extended the lead at 12:08, with assists from Gavin Wilkie (#42) and Broden McArthur (#43). Emesibe struck again just minutes later at 10:21, with Jaxson Craig (#16) and Keaton Martin (#15) providing the setup.
The final dagger came at 5:39, as Emesibe completed the hat trick with assists from Landon Amrhein (#71) and Loic Nasreddine (#56), sealing the dominant 6-2 victory for the Stars.
Key Takeaways
Dallas’ offense exploded in the final two periods, overwhelming Colorado’s defense with relentless pressure. Aiden Eskit (#70) stood tall in net, while Maximillian Britton (#35) faced an onslaught of shots from the Stars’ attack.
With the win, Dallas solidifies its standing in Pool A, while Colorado will need a strong response in its next matchup to stay in the playoff hunt.
