Traverse City Outlasts Jackets, 3-2
February 27, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Traverse City North Stars News Release
TRAVERSE CITY - Kelin Ainsworth had the first word - and the final say - on Sunday afternoon at Centre ICE Arena, scoring bookend goals to help propel his Traverse City North Stars to a 3-2 victory over Motor City in the finale of a two-game series.
Ainsworth (Thunder Bay, ONT/TC North Stars/Lake Superior St.) registered his first goal with 6:20 left in the first period, but it was his top-corner roof job with 5:27 to play in the game that moved Traverse City to 30-15-1 and retake sole possession in the NAHL North Division standings with 12 games left in the regular season.
Following a late power play goal by Motor City's Cody Wydo, Tim Opie (Troy, MI/TC North Stars) blasted home his 22nd goal of the season late in the second period, one-timing a perfect crossing pass from Jared Van Wormer (Traverse City, MI/Traverse City Central HS). Andrew Graves evened things up 6:02 into the final stanza, setting up Ainsworth's late-game heroics.
Stars goalsweep Steve Bolton (Las Vegas, NV/Amarillo NAHL) won for the fourth time in as many starts, corralling 27 shots. In five appearances with Traverse City, Bolton has a 1.13 goals-against average and .957 save percentage.
Opie and Michael Szmatula (Commerce Twp., MI/Lansing Capitals U18) assisted on Ainsworth's first period salvo, Connor Schmidt (Flat Rock, MI/Little Caesars U18/Ferris State) drew a secondary assist on Opie's, and Travis White (Sterling Hts., MI/TC North Stars) and Eric Rivard (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars) set up the game-winner.
St. Louis still leads the North Division by a wide margin, having amassed a 33-11-4 record (70 points), but Janesville's grip on the second-place slot has waned a bit, with Traverse City just four points back, and Motor City and Michigan a mere two points behind the Stars. TC has three games in-hand on both Janesville and Motor City, and will face the Metal Jackets four more times over the season's final five weeks.
Traverse City will square off against Michigan in yet another huge three-game series with significant postseason implications. The teams begin the set in Flint on Friday, with the setting shifting to Centre ICE Arena for games on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday afternoon (1 p.m.).
North American Hockey League Stories from February 27, 2011
- Traverse City Outlasts Jackets, 3-2 - Traverse City North Stars
- Corpus Christi Kills Penalties and Finishes off Amarillo, 4-3 (SO) - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Bulls Alone in 2nd by a Point Despite Loss to Ice Rays - Amarillo Bulls
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