Jean jacks Nats: Stars outlast USA-17s
March 21, 2009 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release
TRAVERSE CITY - Kyle Jean crafted a pair of highlight-reel lamplighters, each team overcame its own two-goal deficit, and David Johnstone supplied the culminant clincher on Friday at Centre ICE arena, as the Traverse City North Stars outlived the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-17 squad in a shootout, 5-4.
While the Stars collected a de facto victory at Centre ICE, they lost a point in the standings to the combined USNTDP, as the Under-18 team scored a 4-1 win over Alpena in Ann Arbor at the same time. Traverse City (31-17-6) is a point behind the nationals for the second spot - and final home ice position - in the NAHL North Division.
"For a second there, I may have actually thought about pulling our goalie late in regulation," quipped North Stars head coach/GM Anthony Palumbo. "It was a hard-fought, fast-paced, crisply-played hockey game between two good teams. I'd say the fans got their money's worth and then some tonight."
Nick Shore put the visiting U-17s up early with a pair of goals in the first 20:20 of the game. After Chris Salomone (Homer Glen, IL/ Chicago Young Americans AAA) cut the deficit in half at 2:48 of the second period, Jean (Sault Ste. Marie, MI/TC North Stars) knotted the affair on a twisting backhand danglefest just over a minute later. Garrett Thompson (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) put the hosts on top midway through the middle stanza, and Jean dazzled the house again to open the third period - utilizing his condor-esque wingspan to split a pair of defenders and folding the puck around US netkeep Brandon Maxwell for a 4-2 lead.
The Under-17s staged their own comeback, knotting the contest with a pair of goals in a span of 2:26, setting up a scoreless overtime and subsequent shootout session.
"I liked how we came back in that second period, which is about as good a period as we've played all year," Palumbo explained. "But they're way too good a team to let up on, and when we did - it didn't take 'em long to get back into the game."
Jean, Kyle Bonis (Lindsay, ONT/TC North Stars), and Johnstone (Grand Ledge, MI/Team nXi AAA) each knocked down shootout tallies, and TC goalie C.J. Motte (St. Clair, MI/Honeybaked AAA) made it stand up, sending over 1,000 Stars faithful home happy.
Travis White (Sterling Hts., MI/St. Louis NAHL) dished a pair of assists for the Stars, while Bonis, Tim Opie (Troy, MI/Wichita Falls NAHL), Marc Thompson (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars), Dan Radke (Orinda, CA/Soo Indians AAA), Eric McLintock (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars), and Chris Heineman (New Boston, MI/TC North Stars) recorded an assist apiece. Motte halted 22 shots for his 19th victory of the season.
The teams will reprise their possible playoff preview series on Saturday at Centre ICE arena at 7 p.m.
North American Hockey League Stories from March 21, 2009
- Phantoms Inch Closer to Division Crown - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- U.S. Nat'l U17 Team Falls to Traverse City, 5-2 - U.S. National Team
- U.S. Nat'l U18 Team Tops Alpena, 3-2 - U.S. National Team
- Jean jacks Nats: Stars outlast USA-17s - Traverse City North Stars
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