Stars falter in shootout

Published on March 24, 2006 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release


TRAVERSE CITY - In a game without much postseason significance attached to it, the Traverse City North Stars played like a high-end playoff team for 30 minutes, and like a team that was looking forward to spring tee times for the first 10 minutes of Friday's contest.

In the end, the Alpena IceDiggers emerged with a 5-4 shootout victory in front of 900 Centre ICE faithful, but took a circuitous route to the win. The Diggers, who will sit out the playoffs, came out the chute on Friday with three goals in the first 9:15 of the opening stanza, including Drew Pierson's ice-breaker just 54 seconds in. Todd Rudasill and Alpena native Erik Peterson completed the early triumvirate before the postseason-bound Stars were able to right the ship.

Traverse City Central product Jake Erway gave the hosts some life heading into the first intermission on an even-strength goal with 2:22 on the clock. Richie Zobak and Brett Englebright assisted.

"I don't think we were ready for them to come out and play the way they did," Stars winger Jonathan Juliano assessed. "Without anything but pride to play for, I thought they'd be out there for the rough stuff - to just fight -- but they came out and scored goals, and it took us a while ... to respond."

The second period was all North Stars, as Juliano (2:37), Zobak (13:35) and Sal Ragusa (17:00) put TC in front, 4-3, in a session that was as one-sided on the ice as on the scoreboard. Juliano and Ragusa's markers came with the man advantage. Matt Larke and Steven Oleksy assisted on Juliano's goal, Erway and Englebright drew helpers on the Zobak tally, and Arthur Bidwill and Patrick Nagorsen set up Ragusa.

Peterson's second goal of the game was the only score of the third period, as the Diggers knotted the contest at four-all just 1:28 in, setting up the scoreless overtime session and eventual shootout. In the shootout, Justin Stadler started things off for Alpena with the first marker, and Todd Rudasill also found twine for the visitors. None of the Stars were able to solve IceDiggers netkeep Johnny Morrow in the shootout.

"You just can't come out and play the first 10 minutes like the game doesn't mean anything," lamented Stars head coach/GM Scott Gardiner. "We really raised our level of play in the second and third, but it's like we've been saying to the players all year: You play 60 minutes - not 20 and not 40. That's the only way we're going to win hockey games."

Stars goalie Ryan Donovan, who surrendered the first three goals and gave way to Jeremy Kaleniecki for the final 6:40 of the first period, was stellar after his return to the pipes in the second period, stopping 35 of the next 36 shots he faced. In all, Alpena foisted 51 shots on net to 39 for Traverse City.

"That's way too many shots to give up," Gardiner added. "We have to keep that number down, and that's going to be our primary focus (Saturday) night. We'll give Jeremy the work tomorrow night, because we need to confident goaltenders going into the postseason."

The Stars and Diggers face off again on Saturday at Centre ICE arena in a 7:30 p.m. contest, before heading to Alpena for Sunday's regular season finale. Traverse City will face the Team USA Under-17 squad in the NAHL North Division semifinals, which start March 30 in Ann Arbor, and come to Traverse City for home dates on April 7-8. Playoff tickets are available at the North Stars ticket office, or by calling (231) 941-9200.

We thank you, our media partners, for your continued interest in Traverse City North Stars hockey. If there is anything we can do to help facilitate any aspect of your coverage, please do not hesitate to contact us. You are a valued component of North Stars hockey.

For more information, call Lance-Michael Correia at (231) 632-5047, the Traverse City North Stars office at (231) 941-9200 or visit the team's Web site at: www.traversecitynorthstars.com.

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North American Hockey League Stories from March 24, 2006


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