Stars break through in 4-1 win

Published on January 26, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


TRAVERSE CITY - When a team is struggling to get over the hump, and wins are at a premium, one signature victory can often stem the tide and right the proverbial ship. Traverse City North Stars head coach/ GM Anthony Palumbo is hoping that Friday's decisive 4-1 triumph over the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-17 squad at Centre ICE arena will be just such a catalyst.

"Yeah, it felt good to get the win," admitted Palumbo, whose team hadn't tasted victory since Dec. 22. "But more importantly, everybody played hard, and we've been looking for that across-the- board production. Tonight, we got contributions from everybody."

After the U-17s grabbed a 1-0 lead 11:51 into the game, the Stars offense came alive, as Nate Urbaniak (Perrysburg, OH/Toledo Jr B CSHL) racked an even-strength marker to close the first period (18:04) and broke the second period seal at 14:52 on a power play. Harrison Niemann (Canton, MI/Omaha USHL) assisted on both goals, with Tyler Stephens (Rockford, MI/Blind River NOJHL) helping out on the latter.

Garrett Thompson (Traverse City, MI/Soo Indians AAA) potted his second goal of the season 2:49 before the second intermission, and Kyle Bonis (Lindsay, ONT/Indiana USHL) capped the evening's scoring 2:35 into the third frame, making it a three-goal final. Jarrod LaBelle (Bay City, MI/Flint Jr B CSHL) and brother Marc Thompson (Traverse City, MI/Soo Indians AAA) set up Garrett's power play tally, while Niemann and Urbaniak each drew an assist on Bonis' capstone lamplighter.

The U-17s outshot Traverse City by an 11-5 margin in the final stanza, but Stars goalkeep Brandon Stephenson (Saline, MI/Victory Honda AAA) stood tall down the stretch, keeping the visitors off the scoreboard for the final 48 minutes of action. Stephenson finished with 22 saves and surrendered just a single goal for the fifth time this season.

"Sure makes it easy for the rest of us when a goalie plays the way Brandon did," Palumbo added. "He was outstanding, and our defensemen did a much better job clearing the puck. They didn't get a lot of second looks, and when they did, Brandon was there."

The North Stars (12-18-9) went 3-for-5 on the power play, making it seven man-up markers in two nights for TC after a 4-for-8 showing on Thursday in Marquette. In fact, after hovering in the bottom third of the NAHL for the first couple of months, the Stars are now fifth in the league in power play efficiency (17.89%).

"We've simplified our approach to that unit a bit," Palumbo explained. "Guys went out and made simple, smart plays and didn't try to do more than they had to."

Niemann jumped into 13th among NAHL skaters with 42 points in his 37 outings. He followed his team-record four-goal outburst on Thursday with his first career playmaker (three assists) on Friday. Urbaniak, now 15th among NAHL scorers, has six points - five on the power play - over the first two-thirds of the weekend.

The Stars and USA-17s will do battle again on Saturday night at Centre ICE arena, with the opening face-off set for 7 p.m.

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North American Hockey League Stories from January 26, 2008


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