Rivard's Late Goal Gives Stars 2-1 Win

Published on March 13, 2011 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - Eric Rivard collected a loose puck near the goal mouth on Sunday, freed his stick from heavy net traffic, and drove the puck into the net with just 1:36 to play at the Hardees Iceplex in suburban St. Louis, giving the Traverse City North Stars a 2-1 victory in the finale of a three-game series against the North Division-leading Bandits. The Stars took two of three from St. Louis, and doubled up the Bandits 4-2 in the season series.

"It was a very well-played game - pretty even for the most part," said TC head coach/GM Anthony Palumbo. "It could have gone either way, but we found a way to get it done and get a win in a place where wins are very hard to come by. When you get four out of six possible points in that building, you go home pretty happy with that."

The North Stars improved to 35-16-1 - setting a team record for regular season victories in the process - and jumped back into a second-place tie with idle Janesville in the North standings. Traverse City owns the tiebreaker with the Jets, and also has a game in-hand on Janesville in the race for the second and final home-ice playoff berth in the first round. The North Stars will play host to Motor City on Tuesday at Centre ICE in a rare but critical showdown with Motor City.

"We need to be ready," Palumbo added. "There's no 'X' indicating a clinched playoff berth next to our name in the standings. We have to keep playing 'em one at a time, and trying to win 'em one at a time, and that starts Tuesday against a team that is also fighting for its playoff life."

After a scoreless first period, Joe Kalisz gave the host Bandits a 1-0 lead a mere 1:29 into the second stanza. Alec Shields (Pittsburgh, PA/TC North Stars/Mercyhurst College) pulled TC into a tie with 4:47 remaining in the period, setting up Rivard's late-game deathblow. Rivard (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) also assisted on Shields' tally, with Michal Toman (Slovakia/Cedar Rapids USHL) and Chris Dienes (Traverse City, MI/TC West HS)/Western Michigan) setting up the clincher.

"We got the puck in deep, Toman dished it out to Dienes, who let a shot go," Palumbo explained. "There was a scramble at the net, and somehow, Eric was able to work free and get the shot off."

Tyler Marble (Howell, MI/TC North Stars/Lake Superior St.) was sharp between the pipes for Traverse City, making 36 saves to up his personal mark to 24-13-1 - and tying a club record for wins in a regular season (t-Drew Strandberg, 2009-10). Palumbo cited a critical breakaway save in the waning minutes as "yet another huge save that helped get us to a victory."

The Stars and Motor City will square off four times in six days, beginning with Tuesday's affair at Centre ICE. The series resumes Friday-Sunday in metropolitan Detroit in the penultimate weekend of the regular season. Traverse City wraps up the schedule Mar. 25-26 with a home-and-home series with Port Huron, and is still battling for a postseason berth beyond that.

"Most teams are sort of in playoff mode already," Palumbo concluded. "If they aren't in yet, they're playing like there's no tomorrow. We have to have that same mentality until the final horn."

Tuesday's showdown against the Metal Jackets will face-off at 7 p.m.

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North American Hockey League Stories from March 13, 2011


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