Traverse City Record-Eagle

Sports

January 7, 2012

Stars win in shootout

Taulien nets the winner; series resumes tonight

from staff reports ----

FLINT — Alexander Taulien scored the decisive goal in a shootout Friday night to give the Traverse City North Stars a 4-3 North American Hockey League win over Michigan.

The win vaults the Stars (15-9-5) past Michigan into third place, one point behind Kalamazoo.

Traverse City trailed 3-1 after two periods, but tied it on goals by Taulien and Mitchell Snider. Kyle Haak and Eic Rivard drew the assists.

The two goals came within the first three minutes of the final period.

Nathan Harris had staked the North Stars to an early 1-0 lead, scoring off assists from Sean Murphy and Haak.

But Michigan netted the next three goals.

In the shootout, Kyle Schempp and Murphy gave the North Stars a quick 2-0 lead, but the Warriors fought back on goals by Robert Mantha and James Kline to knot it. Taulien, the Stars seventh shooter, then won it. Taulien lost control of the puck as he was bearing down on the crease, but was able to put it between the pads of Warriors goalie Brach Tiller.

Kyle Laslo turned aside 25 shots in goal.

The two teams meet again tonight at 7 p.m. The Stars play first-place Port Huron in a Sunday afternoon matinee.

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