North Stars halt Machine, 5-1

January 30, 2009 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


TRAVERSE CITY - With their 23rd win of the season on Friday night at Centre ICE arena, the Traverse City North Stars tied the team mark for victories they set last season. But Stars head coach/GM Anthony Palumbo is more concerned with maintaining the momentum his team has built during its current five-game winning streak. The latest triumph was a 5-1 thumping of Motor City in the first of a two-game weekend set.

"It's a nice benchmark and all, but we have a ways to go still," Palumbo said. "We played well in the second and third periods tonight, but I think we can still improve, still get better, and still work toward that perfect 60-minute complete game. Overall, it was a nice team victory, with contributions from all over the place."

Nate Urbaniak (Perrysburg, OH/TC North Stars) and Sean Burke (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) scored two goals apiece, while Eric O'Hearn (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) tied a career-best with his sixth goal of the season. Kyle Bonis (Lindsay, ONT/TC North Stars), Kyle Jean (Sault Ste. Marie, MI/TC North Stars), and Chris Salomone (Homer Glen, IL/Chicago Young Americans AAA) had two assists apiece, as Tyler Stephens (Rockford, MI/TC North Stars) and Jarrod LaBelle (Bay City, MI/TC North Stars) drew a helper each. Netkeep C.J. Motte (St. Clair, MI/Honeybaked AAA) - the reigning NAHL Goalie of the Week - was nearly impenetrable once again, permitting a power play goal in the first period before walling off the crease the rest of the way. He finished with 25 saves and set a team record for wins in a season with 13.

"I thought it was a pretty tight game until we got that big power play goal to start the third," Palumbo said of Urbaniak's tally just 1:14 into the final stanza. "Kyle Jean made a great play, and Nate made no mistakes at all in just burying it. We closed it out pretty strong."

By the time Burke registered his second marker of the game - and eight of the season - things became a bit testy, with a pair of Machine players drawing misconducts, including former TC forward Adam Sponseller, who got the gate at 11:48 of period three.

The North Stars improved to 23-9-5 but remained two points behind first-place Mahoning Valley after the Phantoms gutted Alpena by a 6-1 margin on Friday. TC and Mahoning meet up next weekend in a three- game series in suburban Youngstown.

"I think our forecheck really came on tonight, and as the game went on we became stronger in establishing it," Palumbo said. "I still think we can come back tomorrow night, and going forward, and be even better, especially on the power play. The numbers (3-for-8) look like it was pretty good tonight, but we can be even more effective up a man than we have been."

The North Stars and Motor City will square off again on Saturday night at Centre ICE arena. Face-off is slated for 7 p.m.



North American Hockey League Stories from January 30, 2009


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