North Stars win way into semi-final

The Soo North Stars took matters into their own hands and won their way into the playoffs at the 24th Annual Steel City International Hockey Tournament.

While the team may have still snuck into the playoffs with a loss, the North Stars rallied in the third period to beat the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at the John Rhodes Community Centre to secure a spot in the semi-finals.

The North Stars advance to play Detroit's Compuware 89's on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Rhodes in one Midget AAA Major semi-final.

The winner will advance to the championship game on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the Rhodes to face the winner of the other semi-final between the Sudbury Titans and the Michigan Soo Indians.

In an entertaining game against Pittsburgh, the North Stars grabbed a 1-0 lead as Paul Dupont banged in a rebound midway through the first period.

Pittsburgh's Jake Polas tied the game late in the period before Brandon Humberger scored in the second to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead heading into the third period.

With the Penguins playing their second game of the day, the North Stars caught their breaks down the stretch against a tiring team.

Dupont's second of the game midway through the final frame tied the score at 2-2 before Trevor McNutt scored the game winner with 2:22 remaining on a feed from Dupont.

"Like I told the kids in the room, that's the difference between a good hockey team and a so-so team," said North Stars head coach Mike Hall. "We found a way to win. We fell behind 2-1 and battled back. I thought Pittsburgh tired in the third after their early game this morning and we were able to capitalize on their mistakes."

The North Stars also received a solid goaltending performance from Travis O'Brien while Pittsburgh counterpart Craig Mohr also played a stellar game.

Derrek Coccimiglio returned to the lineup on Saturday but was used sparingly along with Matt Conway as the pair continue to recover from the flu. Jason Bird remains sidelined with a concussion.

"We missed a couple of glorious opportunities in the second period and I thought it was going to comeback to haunt us. But Dupont had a big game and was flying out there. It was a big win for this team," said Hall.

"Now we're looking for a good night's rest and we're now in a position where we are two wins away."

The North Stars, who did not win a tournament last year and dropped the Steel City final, will be gunning for their second tournament win of the season. In December, the North Stars captured the Waterloo Gold Puck Tournament.