Diggers knock off TC in OT
September 28, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release
ALPENA - The Traverse City North Stars struck first on Friday night at Northern Lights Arena, but the host Alpena IceDiggers got the last laugh, claiming a 4-3 victory in overtime.
Traverse City seized control very early in Friday's North Division lid-lifter, as the Harrison Niemann-Matt Hughes-Joe Greener line - which was firing on all cylinders last week at the NAHL Showcase - lit up the scoreboard 33 seconds in. Hughes registered his second marker of the year with assists to Niemann and Greener.
After Chris Heineman blasted home his first of the 2007-08 campaign about six and a half minutes later to give the visitors a 2-0 edge, the Diggers came to life offensively, with a pair of even-strength goals just 44 seconds apart - the second of which came with a scant : 25 left in the period - to send the teams into the first intermission locked in a 2-all tie. Niemann and Nate Urbaniak assisted on Heineman's goal.
The North Stars went on a 5-on-3 power play for the first 1:54 of the second stanza, following a checking-from-behind minor and subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when another Alpena player attempted to instigate a fight, but were not able to cash in. However, eight seconds after the penalties expired, Greener redirected a Jarrod LaBelle blast to reinstate TC's one-goal bulge.
That lead lasted precious few moments, as Erik Peterson knotted the affair once again for the Diggers, setting up a scoreless third period and the extra session.
In OT - a 3-on-3 matchup due to some late penalties in the third stanza - Isaac Viau collected the puck deep, went behind the North Stars cage, and stuffed home a wraparound to send the Alpenites home happy.
The North Stars (2-0-3) and IceDiggers (3-2-0) will clash again on Saturday night at Centre ICE arena in Traverse City's home opener. Face-off is slated for 7:05 p.m.
North American Hockey League Stories from September 28, 2007
- Brown Bears Stopped in Their Tracks - North Iowa Outlaws
- U.S. National U-18 Team Posts 7-2 Win Over Mahoning Valley - U.S. National Team
- U.S. National U-17 Team Tops Marquette, 5-3 - U.S. National Team
- Jets Come From Behind in Home Opener, 4-2 - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
- Diggers knock off TC in OT - Traverse City North Stars
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