Laslo leads 3-0 shutout

Stars take series opener from Jamestown

BOX SCORE  |  PHOTOS  |  SATURDAY GAME NOTES

TRAVERSE CITY – Less was more for the Traverse City North Stars on Friday evening at Centre ICE Arena in the opener of a three-game series with Jamestown, as Kyle Laslo stopped all 24 shots he faced to pitch his fourth shutout of the season in the Stars’ 3-0 triumph.

Charged with “keeping it simple” by Stars head coach Chad Fournier, the North Stars came through with a goal in each period, permitting a mere eight shots on net in each, and levied the subsequent clean sheet in the opener of the final regular-season series of 2011-12.

“We have to continue to do the ‘simple’ things,” Fournier explained. “Getting shots and traffic to the net, make things straightforward and easy. We got a good effort tonight, especially in that regard, and the results were positive.”

Stars captain Jared Van Wormer (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars NAHL)cleaned up a loose puck in the crease with 5:26 to play in the first period to get the hosts on the board, and Michal Toman (Prievidza, Slovakia/TC North Stars NAHL)did likewise 1:22 into the second. Mitchell Snider (Traverse City, MI/TC North Stars NAHL/Manhattanville)completed the scoring 5:26 into the third frame, and Laslo (Fenton, MI/Osoyoos KIJHL)closed up shop, collecting his 25^th win of the season.  That total ties Laslo with Tyler Marble for the most wins in a season, and Marble and Drew Strandberg for most shutouts in a season and career.

“We got great goaltending from Kyle once again,” Fournier said. “He’s been a critical contributor to any success we’ve experienced this year, and we’re going to need that from him as we move on.”

Snider and Kyle Schempp (Saginaw, MI/Compuware U18/Ferris State)assisted on Van Wormer’s first period tally, Sean Murphy (Cary, NC/Tri-City USHL)and Chris Waterstreet (Northville, MI/TC North Stars NAHL)set up Toman’s score, and Van Wormer fed Snider.

The Stars (32-20-6), who are locked in third place in the NAHL North Division standings, will find out their first-round playoff opponent on Saturday evening. The winner of the Port Huron-Kalamazoo contest will win the regular season North crown, while the loser will host Traverse City next weekend in the first two contests of the best-of-five North Division semifinals.