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North Stars Set for Playoff Opener

March 31, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


TRAVERSE CITY - The 58-game regular season will funnel into just five games - or fewer - when the 2011 NAHL Robertson Cup playoffs swing into action this weekend at Centre ICE Arena. The Traverse City North Stars welcome Flint-based Michigan up north for the first two games of the best-of-five North Division semifinals.

The Stars finished second in the North Division, winning 40 regular season games for the first time in the club's six-year history, and claiming home ice for the first round of the postseason. Traverse City closed out the campaign on an 11-2 run, winning its last three games, and was an eye-popping 22-5 since Jan. 7. The North Stars won the regular season series with the Warriors, seven games to four, but head coach/GM Anthony Palumbo says the playoffs are an entirely new proposition.

"Things have been going our way, but we have to understand that things aren't always going to go our way in the playoffs," he explained. "And when they don't, we'll have to work through that adversity. That's playoff hockey."

Michigan (35-17-6) also finished the year red-hot, claiming eight of its last nine outings to climb into the third seed slot, including a victory over Janesville on the last day of the regular season that vaulted the Warriors past the Jets.

Andrew Kolb led the team in scoring with 31 goals and 34 assists in just 44 regular season contests, and has been especially effective against Traverse City - with 19 points in 11 games, including 10 power play assists. The Michigan Tech commit finished tied for eighth among NAHL scorers with 65 points. Scott Henegar registered six of his 19 goals against the North Stars, while Robert Tadazak won four games, including two by shutout, in the teams' matchups this year. University of Michigan recruit Michael Szuma and Ryan Trenz anchor the Flint defensive corps.

"They're pretty solid all the way around," Palumbo said. "Their special teams are strong - the power play is outstanding. They have some high-end forwards who know how to finish, their defense is very solid, and obviously they have real good goaltending, too. On top of that, they play a great team game and go hard for 60 minutes. They don't really leave you a lot to work with. We'll have to be at our best."

The Stars will have a broader cast to work with to open the playoffs after skating with a depleted lineup the last few games of the regular season. Forward Kelin Ainsworth, the club's leading goal- scorer who tallied nine times in his final 11 games against Michigan in 2010-11, is expected to return from an upper-body injury, as will stalwart defenseman Zack Dorer. Robert Wiener (lower body), a human Swiss Army Knife who has played extensive minutes at both forward and defense this year, will also be available for duty. Veteran forward Ryan Amin and Ferris-bound blue-liner Connor Schmidt are likely done for the season due to their respective injuries.

"We're getting better, health-wise, and that's encouraging," Palumbo added. "Of course we'd like to have Ryan and Connor out there, but that isn't going to be possible. We'll just do like the old clich�: Take it one game at a time, starting on Friday. Then we'll come back on focus solely on Saturday. It's not a complicated formula."

The Stars and Warriors will face off at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday at Centre ICE, with the series shifting to Flint for the next two. If a fifth and decisive contest is warranted, it'll be back in Traverse City on Monday, April. 11

NAHL NORTH DIVISION SEMIFINALS

Traverse City vs. Janesville/Michigan

Best-of-Five

Game 1: Friday, April 1 at Traverse City, 7 p.m.

Game 2: Saturday, April 2 at Traverse City, 7 p.m.

Game 3: Friday, April 8 - at Flint, 7:30 p.m.

Game 4*: Saturday, April 9 - at Flint, 7 p.m.

Game 5*: Monday, April 11 at Traverse City, 7 p.m.

*if necessary

TICKETS: Online at traversecitynorthstars.com.



North American Hockey League Stories from March 31, 2011


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