North Stars drop champs
September 17, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release
BLAINE, Mn. - Traverse City North Stars winger Kyle Bonis picked up right where he left off last season.
After netting a team-record 25 goals in 2007-08 - in just 39 contests - Bonis opened the 2008 North American Hockey League Showcase with some fresh heroics on Wednesday, dropping the game- winning marker on two-time defending NAHL champion St. Louis with just 1:18 to play for a 3-2 win at Schwan Super Rink in suburban Minneapolis. Linemate Nate Urbaniak (Perrysburg, OH/TC North Stars) - who also tied the Stars mark with 25 lamplighters a year ago - set up the game-winner.
"Nate chipped it ahead to me through the defender's legs and I was able to get off a quick wrist shot," said Bonis, a Lindsay, Ont. product playing in his first NAHL Showcase event. "It was pretty unbelievable - exactly what we needed to get the year started off. It wasn't always pretty, but we found a way to win and that's what good teams do."
The Stars had built a 2-0 by 9:04 of the second period as Garrett Thompson (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) got things started 14 minutes into the contest, and Chris Salomone (Homer Glen, IL/Chicago Young Americans AAA) registered his first junior goal midway through the second stanza. Eric O'Hearn (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) and Marc Thompson (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) assisted on the opening salvo, while Mike Schenfeld (Littleton, CO/Lake Forest Academy Prep) and Eric McLintock (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) set up Salomone's marker.
St. Louis scored the next two goals, with the equalizer coming at 14:01 of the final period - setting up Bonis' waning-moments game- bagger.
The teams went a combined 0-for-16 on the power play, but the Bandits did manage a shorthanded goal on their first tally. Brandon Stephenson (Saline, MI/TC North Stars) was sterling in net for the Stars, turning aside 19 shots, as Traverse City outshot and outchanced St. Louis by a 30-21 margin. The Stars (1-0-0) had an 11-8 shot bulge in the first period, and doubled up the Bandits (12-6) in the second.
"It's a great start, but it's one game, and there are still six more points out there (at the Showcase)," said Bonis, referring to his team's remaining contests in Blaine - against Alaska, Bismarck, and Fairbanks. "We know basically nothing about any of these other teams, so we have to come out with the same fresh energy and go hard every shift."
Thursday's TC-Alaska game is scheduled for video webcast on the b2 Network. Due to technical difficulties at the rink, Wednesday's opener was not shown.
SHOWTIME II
WHAT: 2008 NAHL Showcase
WHERE: Schwan Super Rink - Blaine, Mn.
WHEN: Sept. 17-20
WEDNESDAY: Traverse City 3, St. Louis 2
THURSDAY: vs. Alaska, 1:30 p.m. EST
FRIDAY: vs. Bismarck, 4:45 p.m. EST
SATURDAY: vs. Fairbanks, 10:30 a.m. EST
LIVE VIDEO: Link to webcast at tcnorthstars.com
• Discuss this story on the North American Hockey League message board...
North American Hockey League Stories from September 17, 2008
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Tops Bismarck, 5-1, in NAHL Showcase Opener - U.S. National Team
- Shake Rattle and Goal; Machine Find a Hole in OT, 2-1 - Motor City Metal Jackets
- Phantoms Rally To Win Game One - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- North Stars drop champs - Traverse City North Stars
- North Stars open 2008-09 campaign at Showcase - Traverse City North Stars
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Traverse City North Stars Stories
- Stars Fall in Game 2, 7-3
- Wings Claim Playoff Opener, 4-0
- Blond Ambition: Bleaches Stars Open Playoffs Today
- Bad(ner) to the Bone: Winger Scores Four in 6-1 Win
- North Stars Whitewash Jamestown, 3-0
