Stars rally for point
February 15, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release
BOARDMAN, Oh. - Momentum is a fickle mistress, subject to the ebb and flow of alternating allegiance.
On Friday night in suburban Youngstown, 'Big Mo' jilted the Traverse City North Stars early on, but birthday boy Kyle Bonis coaxed the vacillating vixen back to the visitors, and the Stars overcame a three-goal third period deficit before succumbing in a 5-4 shootout against Mahoning Valley. Bonis brought Traverse City to within a goal at 4-3 with back-to-back goals, then Kory Kaunisto converted a 2-on-1 rush with just 25 seconds remaining to force overtime and secure a point for the North Stars (14-19-11).
"Down three goals with 15 minutes to play - we just said 'let's get one and see where it goes,'" said TC head coach/GM Anthony Palumbo. "Then we got one ... then we got another, and then Kory and Eric make a very pretty play. I was very proud of how we played, even amidst some ... adversity."
Those tribulations included 10 penalty kills on Friday night, including a full two-minute 5-on-3 advantage for the hosts, and a tripping call in overtime after Stars defenseman Chris Heineman seemingly swept away the puck before becoming entangled with Mahoning's Johnny Meo.
The Phantoms scored a pair of first period goals, sandwiched around the 19th goal of the season for Nate Urbaniak (Perrysburg, OH/Toledo Jr B CHSL). Harrison Niemann (Canton, MI/Omaha USHL) and Alex Breeden (Ft. Collins, CO/North Iowa NAHL) assisted. Mahoning's Miles Winter bagged the only goal of the second period, and the Phantoms assumed a 4-1 advantage 4:25 into the third.
That was when Bonis (Lindsay, ONT/Indiana USHL) erupted for a pair of markers - his 13th and 14th of the season, and fourth in the past three games - to set up Kaunisto's clutch equalizer. Breeden and Jonathan Sheridan (Midland, MI/Flint Jr B CSHL) set up Bonis' first tally, while Urbaniak and Jameson Raymond (Flint, MI/Bozeman NAHL) crafted the latter. Eric McLintock (Traverse City, MI/Soo Indians AAA) collaborated with Kaunisto on the odd-man rush, with an outlet from Clinton Bourbonais (Whitmore Lake, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's Prep).
"We were awesome tonight, and we had them on the ropes in the third period," Palumbo continued. "Once we got it going, it felt like it was just a matter of time until we got to 'em."
The North Stars and Phantoms will cross swords again on Saturday night at the Ice Zone, with the contest slated to get underway at 7:15 p.m.
North American Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2008
- Outlaws take down Blizzard, 5-1 - North Iowa Outlaws
- Harrie Buries Game Winner in OT as Jets Nail âCats, 2-1 - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
- Phantoms Solve Stars in Shootout - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Stars rally for point - Traverse City North Stars
- Wildcats Raise $80,540 for CMN - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Jets Score Sweet Success in Bismarck, 5-0 - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
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