North Stars strike back, 7-3

Published on March 20, 2010 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


TRAVERSE CITY - Oh, what a difference a day makes.

Just 24 hours removed from a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the Marquette Rangers, the Traverse City North Stars bounced back with a blowout victory of their own on Saturday night at Centre ICE arena, crafting a 7-3 rout of Marquette in the second installment of a three- game series that concludes on Sunday afternoon. The teams are once again deadlocked atop the NAHL North Division standings with four games left in the regular season. Third-place Janesville is just three points back.

Doug Clifford (Woodhaven, MI/Mahoning Valley NAHL) and Tim Opie (Troy, MI/TC North Stars) led the way with a goal and two assists each, while a trio of Stars - Eric McLintock (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars), Nick Shkreli (Romeo, MI/Mahoning Valley NAHL), and Alec Shields (Pittsburgh, PA/Pittsburgh Predators U18) - had a goal and an assist apiece. TC captain Travis White (Sterling Heights, MI/TC North Stars) set up a pair of goals, and has four assists over his last three outings.

"(Friday) night, we didn't play as a team - there were a lot of individualistic efforts," explained North Stars head coach/GM Anthony Palumbo. "Somehow, we figured out a way to play much more of a team game - guys playing their positions, being where they were supposed to be, and making a play when it came their turn to make a play."

McLintock started the cavalcade of goals with a shorthanded effort at 11:11 of the first period - his 20th of the season, and Clifford followed suit with his 20th in the waning seconds of the stanza. Garrett Thompson (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) opened the second period with his 23rd of the year (3:14), followed by a tremendous individual effort by Shkreli, who forced a turnover in front of Rangers goalie Kevin Kissaw, sprang to his feet after the turnover- causing collision with a Marquette defenseman, and beat Kissaw to the idle puck just outside the crease for a 4-0 lead.

The teams traded goals the rest of the way, with Shields potting his third goal in as many games 12:02 into the middle stanza, Opie making it a 6-2 advantage with 1:59 to play before the second intermission, and Kyle Jean (Sault Ste. Marie, MI/TC North Stars/Lake Superior St.) tucking home the seventh and final lamplighter with 2:59 left.

"A total team effort, and obviously we didn't get Marquette's best game either," Palumbo added. "They will be ready to go tomorrow (Sunday), no doubt. It will take another effort like the one we had tonight to be ready for that."

Drew Strandberg (Thunder Bay, ONT/Thunder Bay SIJHL) stopped 18 of the 21 shots he faced, while Traverse City outshot the visitors by a 39-21 margin, including a 15-7 spread in the second period. He's 21-9-2 and a win away from tying C.J. Motte's single-season team mark for victories.

Dan Radke (Orinda, CA/TC North Stars/Lake Superior St.), Nilan Nagy (Canonsburg, PA/Pittsburgh Predators U18), and Kelin Ainsworth (Thunder Bay, ONT/Ft. William SIJHL/Lake Superior St.) chipped in with one assist each.

The Sunday matinee between the Stars and Rangers will face off at 1 p.m., before the series adjourns to Marquette on Thursday. The North Stars (30-19-5) close out the regular season slate on Friday at home (vs. Alpena) and at Alpena on Saturday (Mar. 27).

We thank you, our media partners, for your continued interest in Traverse City North Stars hockey. If there is anything we can do to help facilitate any aspect of your coverage, please do not hesitate to contact us. You are a valued component of North Stars hockey.

For more information, call Lance-Michael Correia at (231) 632-5047, the Traverse City North Stars office at (231) 941-9200 or visit the team's Web site at: www.traversecitynorthstars.com.

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North American Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2010


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