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Rivard Leads Stars Past Kalamazoo, 4-2

February 28, 2012 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


TRAVERSE CITY - The Traverse City North Stars overcame a sluggish first period and subsequent early deficit on Tuesday evening at Centre ICE Arena, battling back to claim an important - if occasionally inartistic - 4-2 victory over second-place Kalamazoo.

Eric Rivard kept his hot streak rolling by scoring a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 10:07 to play. Rivard (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars NAHL) had seven points in a weekend sweep of Chicago, and now has nine points over his last three games. Mitchell Snider (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars NAHL), the reigning Perani's National Player of the Week following a four-goal, four assist weekend, set up both Rivard tallies, while Robert Wiener (Williamston, MI/TC North Stars NAHL) kicked in with his own two-assist performance. Traverse City played with only 17 skates as injuries and illness dot the roster.

North Stars GM Anthony Palumbo lamented a first period that saw the hosts manage just five shots while surrendering three times that number, and trail 2-1 at the intermission.

"It was a bad first period, flat out," he explained. "We were pretty well dominated for the first 20 minutes. Then we had a little 'meeting of the minds' in the locker room, and came out a little more committed to the team game."

That commitment yielded fruit right away, as Michal Toman (Prievidza, Slovakia/TC North Stars NAHL) evened things up just 52 seconds into the second period. Wiener and Kyle Froese (Traverse City, MI/TC Central HS) assisted. Rivard levied his 16th of the season at 9:53 of the third, and Kyle Loridon (Howell, MI/Lansing Capitals U18) racked an insurance marker 40 seconds later. Kyle Schempp (Saginaw, MI/Compuware U18/Ferris State) and Will Badner (Cadillac, MI/Motor City NAHL) were credited with assists on Loridon's sixth.

Kyle Laslo (Fenton, MI/Osoyoos KIJHL) made 29 saves to go to 21-13-4 on the year.

"We had a better commitment to defense, kept it simple, and let some guys make some plays," Palumbo explained. "It was a good win, but now we have our last two games against them this weekend down in their building. After that, we're out of chances to catch them (in the standings)."

Traverse City improved to 25-16-5, and pulled to within eight points of second-place Kalamazoo in the NAHL North Division. The Stars have played four fewer games than the K-Wings, making this weekend's Saturday-Sunday matinee series crucial in the chase for the final home-ice playoff seeding. Both games face off at 2 p.m. The series will also mark the return of forward Lance Fredrickson (Spring Lake, MI/Muskegon USHL/Miami, OH) and head coach Chad Fournier.



North American Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2012


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