YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (November 3, 2009) - These are the Phantom Philes, a weekly comprehensive look at Youngstown's very own stop on the road to the National Hockey League.Today's edition: A Fargo sweep provides a satisfying close to October.
With their momentum heading south due to a four-game winless streak, the Youngstown Phantoms hoped a trip to the USHL's northernmost city would help them regain their equilibrium. Upon completing a two-game weekend sweep of the Fargo (N.D.) Force, the team returned to northeast Ohio in a much improved state.
So what changed from the previous two weekends that saw Youngstown go 0-3-1?
"We as a coaching staff are sounding like a broken record," said Head Coach/GM Bob Mainhardt, "but we're learning to stick to the game plan and not get wrapped up in what happens during a game. You can only control so much and I think we did a much better job of just focusing on what our jobs were and doing those well."
The twin victories in Fargo - by counts of 3-1 and 6-3 - improved the Phantoms' road record to an impressive 4-1-1 as October came to a close. Conversely, Youngstown has yet to collect a win at the Covelli Centre, dropping their first three in the friendly confines, but that actually puts them in the company of six other USHL teams who have a better winning percentage on the road.
"That's an early trend throughout the league," Mainhardt said. "I won't say there are more pressures at home, but there are different pressures. Part of our task this week is overcoming the unique challenges that come with playing at home."
With a five-game homestand looming, including Thursday and Friday games against the Des Moines Buccaneers, the Phantoms will have plenty of opportunity to solve their home-game woes.
"The tough games we've had [at home] have prepared us to do well now," Mainhardt said. "We've made some mistakes but we've learned from them and you're going to see a much better Phantoms team at the Covelli Centre this Thursday."
One marked area of improvement has been on the defensive end of the rink. The Phantoms have given up only seven goals in their last three contests for an average of 2.33 goals against per game, which is about half of what opponents were scoring through the first six tilts of the season.
"We weren't being effective defensively as a team," said Mainhardt. "Recently, we've done much better at things like clearing the front of our net and making smarter decisions with the puck, and as a result our goaltenders are starting to get the stats they deserve."
"Both goalies [Jordan Tibbett and Matt Mahalak] are big-time guys who can win games for you, but we haven't given them a chance to do so until the last few games."
After first-year players Luke Eibler and Rich Young earned their first USHL goals two weekends ago against Tri-City, the veterans reasserted themselves in Fargo. Brett Gensler drilled home a pair of goals in each game to raise his season total to a team-leading seven, and Tom Serratore picked up his first three points of the campaign in dramatic fashion, contributing two goals and an assist in Saturday's decisive third period.
"Hopefully one of our strengths is going to be scoring balance," Mainhardt said. "All of our guys are willing to help out in different ways and they're all going to have nights where they put numbers up offensively."
The only numbers the Phantoms will be worried about Thursday night are five and three, as they will be gunning for their fifth win of the season and third in a row. If that scenario occurs, the elusive first victory at the Covelli Centre could be reduced to a mere footnote in a mid-autumn surge.
FOLLOW THE PHANTOMS ALL SEASON LONG!
Listen to Voice of the Phantoms Matt Gajtka call exciting Phantoms hockey on Youngstown's ESPN 1240 and the B2 Networks! Broadcasts begin approximately 15 minutes prior to opening faceoff. Phantoms fans outside the listening area can log onto www.wbbw.com and use ESPN 1240's streaming audio player, so there's no need to miss a second of the action!
In addition, tune in to ESPN 1240 every Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. for Phantoms Phever presented by House of Speed, an hour-long talk show that brings you an inside look at your Youngstown Phantoms! Join host Matt Gajtka live from Jeremiah Bullfrog's Sports Bar & Grille on US Route 224 in Boardman, the new site of Phantoms Phever, as he chats with coaches, players and front office staff about northeast Ohio's most exciting team and the great sport of hockey. This week's featured guests will be Associate Coach Curt Carr, Director of Community Relations Kelly Carroll and Phantoms supporter Dr. Chris Clautti.
Also, make "Youngstown Phantoms" your friend on Facebook and follow "ytownphantoms" on Twitter to stay plugged into the Phantoms 24 hours a day, seven days a week!
RADIO REPLAYS, PRESS BOX OPINIONS AND MUCH MORE...
Visit www.youngstownphantoms.com to relive heart-pounding Phantoms action on demand! Listen to all the best goal calls from the past week's worth of games and get Matt Gajtka's take on Youngstown's inaugural season in the USHL at the onlineVoice of the Phantoms blog.
THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Friday, October 30: YOUNGSTOWN 3, FARGO 1
FARGO, N.D. - A return to the road plus two more strikes from Big Goal Brett equaled a winning formula for the Phantoms.
Brett Gensler broke a third-period tie with his second goal of the game and goaltender Matt Mahalak stopped 20 of 21 shots as the Youngstown Phantoms put a four-game winless streak to an end with a 3-1 win over the Fargo Force Friday night at the Urban Plains Center.
Gensler, who leads Youngstown with five goals in eight games, deflected a wrist shot by defenseman Andrej Sustr between Force goalie Cody Campbell's legs and into the net with 12:57 to go with the Phantoms on the power play. He also tallied late in the second off a Brian Dowd feed to counteract Johnnie Searfoss' man-advantage marker and tie the game 1-1 heading into the final frame.
Defenseman Scott Mayfield iced the Phantoms' third win of the season with a unique shorthanded goal that caromed off the side glass and into an empty net. With Youngstown's Taylor Holstrom in the penalty box, Mayfield gathered a loose puck behind his own goal and rifled a clearing attempt off the window that eventually skidded into the goal vacated by Campbell, who made 20 saves in the loss.
Mayfield's clinching goal came just seconds after Ryan Jasinsky's roughing minor expired, along with a Fargo 5-on-3 advantage that lasted 39 seconds. The Force came into the game with the league's best power play, converting at a 26.5 percent rate, but the Phantoms killed off six of seven Force power trips - including the pivotal late two-man power play.
The Phantoms (3-4-1) and the Force (4-4-0) will renew acquaintances Saturday night at 8:05 Eastern time, 7:05 Central. Youngstown is now 3-1-1 on the road while Fargo falls to 1-2-0 at home.
An unfortunate streak continued for Youngstown with 2:29 gone in the second period when Fargo's Searfoss tossed in his fifth of the season with the Force on the power play. The Phantoms have now surrendered a man-advantage goal in each of their first eight games this season.
Almost immediately after Searfoss' icebreaking goal, Youngstown went right back on the attack, nearly tying the score on several occasions but constantly being turned away at the doorstep by Fargo netminder Campbell. Finally, on the Phantoms' 12th and final shot of the middle period, Dowd deftly set up Gensler for a tip-in that squeezed by Campbell with 29 seconds remaining before the second intermission.
Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid1048769 for full box score.
Saturday, October 31: YOUNGSTOWN 6, FARGO 3
FARGO, N.D. - Paging the USHL league office: the Youngstown Phantoms would like to be designated the visiting team for all their remaining games.
Tom Serratore's two-goal, three-point third period boosted the barnstorming Phantoms to a 6-3 victory Saturday night against the Fargo Force, as the visitors improved to 4-1-1 away from home on the strength of a two-game weekend sweep at the Urban Plains Center.
Brett Gensler also scored twice for Youngstown (4-4-1), who extended Fargo's losing streak to three games, dropping the Force (4-5-0) under the.500 mark. The Phantoms swept a two-game road trip for the second time in four weeks.
Youngstown goalie Jordan Tibbett held the fort valiantly with the Phantoms trailing early and was rewarded by the offensive explosion with his second win of the campaign. The former Mahoning Valley Phantom (NAHL) made 26 saves to outduel Fargo counterpart Ryan Holfeld.
With the score tied 2-2 after Fargo's Alex Lippincott slammed in a power-play goal in the early moments of the third, Serratore took over. The third-year USHL veteran assisted on Adam Berkle's go-ahead marker at 5:34, then scored his first of the season from the left-wing boards just 1:56 later to push Youngstown up by two.
Joe Rehkamp's stuff from the left post drew Fargo to within 4-3, but both Gensler and Serratore found the back of the Force goal with netminder Holfeld pulled for an extra skater. For Gensler it was his fourth goal in two nights and his seventh in the Phantoms' first nine games.
After defeating Fargo 3-1 Friday night to end a three-game losing streak, the Phantoms rallied from an early 1-0 deficit for the second straight night to drop the Force to 1-3-0 at home. Youngstown has now surrendered the first goal in its last five games, but for the second time in two nights the Phantoms rendered that moot.
The Phantoms trailed 1-0 after Corey Leivermann's even-strength tally midway through the first, but rallied back on second-period goals by Stuart Higgins (power play) and Gensler about four minutes apart to grab a 2-1 edge heading into the final frame. Higgins earned his third of the season when he tipped Dan Senkbeil's wrister past Holfeld's glove hand at 13:28.
A fortunate bounce gave Youngstown its first lead with 2:21 to go in the second. Gensler attempted a cross-crease pass that deflected off a Fargo defender and through Holfeld's legs to make it 2-1.
Just over two minutes after Lippincott's one-timer drew the Force even, Berkle buried the rebound of Serratore's wraparound to push the Phantoms back on top. The assist was Serratore's first point of the season, but he wouldn't take long to record his second.
At 7:30 of the final frame, Serratore snapped a low shot at the net from outside the left circle that hit Holfeld's goal stick and hopped over his shoulder for an improbable goal and a 4-2 Phantoms lead. Rehkamp answered off a goalmouth scramble at 9:24, but Youngstown stymied the Fargo attack and then poured it on with Holfeld on the bench.
Gensler tossed a blind backhander from 90 feet into the empty net with 1:11 to go to push it to 5-3, followed by Serratore's second of the period 27 seconds later. Those duel daggers send the Force faithful scrambling for the exits and into the Halloween night.
Youngstown will now search for its first home triumph Thursday evening at 7:15 p.m. against Des Moines at the Covelli Centre. The Buccaneers come to northeast Ohio as the Phantoms host Mascot Mania Night, featuring appearances from Sparky, the Cleveland Browns' Chomps and other famous mascots. Kids under the age of 12 wearing their Halloween costumes will get in free with a paying adult.
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