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Stars Fall to Team USA

September 23, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


TRAVERSE CITY - The Traverse City North Stars were whistled for an interference call a mere three seconds into Friday's home opener at Centre ICE arena, and that was a harbinger of things to come, as the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-17s scored a 5-4 shootout victory in a contest that featured an astounding 30 penalties totaling 66 minutes.

Kevin McCary sealed the win for the U-17s as the fifth shooter in the extra session, negating a North Stars comeback early in the third period.

"We just can't stay out of the box," Traverse City head coach Scott Gardiner said. "We had been struggling a bit taking penalties, but this was a new level. Some were good calls, others were less good, but we can't put ourselves in that position like that and expect that we'll be able to survive so many power plays and 5-on-3s against us."

For all the frequent trips to the sin bin, the Stars were remarkably stout on special teams, rebuffing all but one of the 16 Team USA power plays.

Jared Mullen (Brett Englebright) scored the first of a pair for Traverse City to pull the North Stars to within a goal at 2-1 with just over six minutes left in the first period after Colin Reddin (5:34) and Jordan Schroeder (11:11) gave the visitors a two-goal bulge.

Danny Kristo pushed the Stars deficit to two to open the second stanza, but power play lamplighters just 1:50 apart off the sticks of Arthur Bidwill (Jameson Raymond, Patrick Nagorsen) and Mullen (Travis Hamway, Englebright) put the clubs square 5:17 in.

After Vinny Saponari put Team USA back on top at 8:15 of the second, the teams settled into a battle between North Stars goalie Ryan Donovan and his counterpart, Nick Maricic. Harrison Niemann's even- up marker (Matt Hughes) at 6:15 of the third knotted the contest and sent it into a fruitless OT session, although a pair of late minors assessed to the hosts made for some anxious moments down the stretch.

"Even with all the calls, we still had our chances," Gardiner said. "It's a game we cold have won, but we'll take the point."

Donovan made 30 saves in his 65 minutes of work, while Maricic faced 26 shots for 22 stops.

Traverse City (2-2-1) will try to deal Team USA (6-0-0) its first loss of the season again on Saturday at Centre ICE arena for a 7:05 p.m. face-off.



North American Hockey League Stories from September 23, 2006


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