Rangers Edge Tc In Shootout

February 4, 2010 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


MARQUETTE - Things just got a little tighter in the NAHL North Division.

By virtue of a 5-4 shootout victory at Lakeview Arena on Thursday, the Marquette Rangers pulled to within four points of the first-place Traverse City North Stars. Newly-acquired forward Jimmy McCusker sparked the host Rangers with a pair of goals and the clincher in the seventh round of the shootout.

McCusker got Marquette out front early on, but Eric McLintock (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) and Tim Opie (Troy, MI/TC North Stars) scored the next two goals, and Doug Clifford (Woodhaven, MI/ Mahoning Valley NAHL) closed the second with a power play goal that put the Stars ahead by a 3-2 margin at the second intermission.

McCusker struck again 8:53 into the third stanza, but Phil Wendecker (Westland, MI/TC North Stars) levied what appeared to a game-winning tally with 2:26 to go. However, a late penalty against Traverse City - the only penalty called in the final 22 minutes of regulation - opened the door for Marquette to secure a power play, extra-attacker marker with 45 seconds left.

Traverse City outshot the Rangers by a 43-30 margin, with Chris Paliafito (Shelbyville, KY/Owatonna NAHL) stopping 25 of 29 shots. Paliafito hasn't lost in regulation in over a month, going 3-0-2 over that span.

In addition to his late goal, Wendecker had two assists, as did Nick Shkreli (Romeo, MI/Mahoning Valley NAHL). McLintock, Ryan Amin (Canton, MI/Kenai River NAHL), and Garrett Thompson (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) had one assist apiece.

The North Stars fell to 25-12-4, and will enjoy a weekend off before a Tuesday visit to Alpena. That contest is a makeup of a Nov. 20 game that was postponed due to illness on both teams.



North American Hockey League Stories from February 4, 2010


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