USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Phantom Philes: Offensive Eruption Keys Weekend

Published on March 2, 2010 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - These are the Phantom Philes, a weekly comprehensive look at Youngstown's stop on the road to the National Hockey League.

Saturday's emotionally-charged 6-4 win in Waterloo, Iowa, against the Black Hawks was much more than the Youngstown Phantoms' 16th positive result of their first USHL season. Rather, it functioned as an offensive catharsis for a club that had found February mostly frustrating.

After scoring exactly one goal in regulation in each of their previous 10 games, the Phantoms (16-31-2, 34 points) immediately put that dubious stretch in the rear-view mirror with four goals in Saturday's first period at Young Arena, their largest opening-frame output since also netting four Oct. 16 in Lincoln, Neb.

But while quantity was the most newsworthy part of Youngstown's red-light extravaganza, the frequency of the tallies was also remarkable. After Ben Paulides started the scoring with a four-on-four marker 9:38 into the game, Tom Serratore and Cody Strang beat Hawks goalie C.J. Motte at 14:15 and 14:40, respectively, setting a new team record for quickest two goals. The previous mark had been 29 seconds, set by Brett Gensler and Nick Czinder at Des Moines Oct. 17.

When Dylan Margonari slammed home his second goal in 11 USHL games with 3:50 left in the first, the Phantoms had cashed in three times during a span of 1:55, shattering their previous best by nearly a full minute.

Jiri Sekac earned the primary assist on Margonari's tally, making him the ninth different Phantom to earn at least a point in the opening 20 minutes. When Gensler and Adam Berkle added goals of their own in the third period to help thwart Waterloo's comeback attempt, it pushed 11 members of the Purple and Orange onto the scoresheet, tying the season-high posted Dec. 4 in a 6-4 home triumph over Chicago.

Berkle continued his personal offensive assault Sunday afternoon in Green Bay, Wisc., potting a pair in the Phantoms' 5-3 loss to the USHL-best Gamblers to raise his season total to 13, tied for second on the team. The first-year forward from Collegeville, Pa., has now deposited goals in three straight games, the Phantoms' longest such stretch since Serratore scored in four consecutive contests Dec. 18-31.

Not to be forgotten amidst all the weekend scoring, netminder Jordan Tibbett's Saturday performance (stopping 42 of 46 Waterloo shots) provided a much-needed stabilizing force as the Black Hawks pushed for the tie late in the third period. Tibbett's superlative effort produced his first win in almost two months, dating back to Dec. 29's 4-3 decision against the same Waterloo team at Covelli Centre.

It also provided new Head Coach/GM Curt Carr's first win behind the Youngstown bench; this is now Tibbett's third season playing under Carr, as the two were part of the NAHL's Mahoning Valley Phantoms prior to the jump to Tier I competition.

PHANTOMS GAMES THIS WEEK...

Friday, March 6 at 8:05 p.m. @ TRI-CITY

Saturday, March 7 at 8:05 p.m. @ TRI-CITY

FOLLOW THE PHANTOMS ALL SEASON LONG!

Listen to Voice of the PhantomsMatt Gajtka describe exciting Phantoms hockey on Youngstown's ESPN 1240. 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.

"Phantoms Phever" is an hour-long weekly talk show that brings you an inside look at your Youngstown Phantoms. Gajtka sets up shop Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at Jeremiah Bullfrog's Sports Bar & Grille on US Route 224 in Boardman, chatting with coaches, players and front office staff about northeast Ohio's most exciting team and the great sport of hockey. Catch "Phantoms Phever" on Youngstown's ESPN Radio 1240 AM and online at www.wbbw.com.

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...

Relive heart-pounding Phantoms action on demand! Listen to all the best goal calls from recent games and get Gajtka's take on Youngstown's inaugural season in the USHL at the onlineVoice of the Phantoms blog at www.youngstownphantoms.com.

THE WEEK THAT WAS:

Friday, February 26: CEDAR RAPIDS 6, YOUNGSTOWN 1

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Boosted by a pair of favorable bounces in the first period, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders rode an early lead - and two goals from Cason Hohmann - to a 6-1 win over the visiting Youngstown Phantoms Friday night at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

Zach Lehrke, the RoughRiders' leading scorer, added a goal and two assists to support goalie Cody Campbell's 28 saves in his second win over the Phantoms in three tries. Cedar Rapids (29-15-3, 61 points), in second place in the East Division, extended its unbeaten streak to 13 games (12-0-1).

Adam Berkle netted a second-period goal, his 10th, to end Youngstown's seven-game power-play drought. The Phantoms (15-30-2, 32 points) received 32 saves from Matt Mahalak in his second-straight start, but fell on the first night of a season-high five-game road trip.

The Phantoms got off to a tough start when Hohmann's low shot was blocked but caromed into the net off a Youngstown skate at 2:40 of the first. Lehrke's power-play goal from the left circle, the first of three on the night for Cedar Rapids, also ticked off a Phantom before drifting into the cage for a 2-0 lead four minutes later.

Lehrke helped the RoughRiders pile on at 11:07, finding Jeff Costello for his team-leading 25th from the top lip of the crease at even strength.

On their third power play of the game early in the second, the Phantoms connected to break the ice after sustained offensive zone pressure. Tom Serratore's point blast was kicked out by Campbell, but directly to Berkle who made no mistake in burying the puck under the crossbar from the right circle to cut the lead to 3-1 at 6:48.

Hohmann struck right back with his second of the night on a similar play, as he converted a rebound by just barely skidding it through a Phantoms stick a little more than a minute later, restoring the home side's three-goal edge.

Third-period tallies by Thomas Fallen (power play) and David Boehm pushed the lead to five before the final buzzer.

Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid1049084 for full box score.

Saturday, February 27: YOUNGSTOWN 6, WATERLOO 4

WATERLOO, Iowa - Weeks of frustration were washed away Saturday night at Young Arena, as the Youngstown Phantoms earned new Head Coach Curt Carr his first USHL win in a rousing 6-4 road triumph over the Waterloo Black Hawks.

The firsts weren't limited to Carr's milestone, though. Phantoms goaltender Jordan Tibbett stopped 40 shots, including several during the frantic final minutes, to earn his first win since a 4-3 decision over Waterloo in Youngstown Dec. 29. The Purple and Orange also snapped a five-game losing streak in prevailing for the first time in four road contests.

The offensive breakthrough was also due, as the Phantoms (16-30-2, 34 points) deposited a half dozen for the first time since a 7-3 win over Team USA Jan. 18 at Covelli Centre. Youngstown had scored exactly one goal in regulation in ten straight games, but that was put in the past almost immediately from the start.

A four-goal Youngstown first was the down payment, and Brett Gensler and Adam Berkle helped the Phantoms cash in with third-period tallies, the latter into an empty net to seal the deal. Waterloo scored three straight goals, with two from Derek Arnold, to rally to within one goal early in the final frame.

After Gensler's insurance marker made it 5-3, the Black Hawks' Tyler Barnes flipped in a rebound with 6:35 to go to set up the tight finish.

Defenseman Ben Paulides quickly erased the memory of Friday night's loss in Cedar Rapids with a four-on-four goal at 9:38 of the first. Taylor Holstrom entered the zone only to have the puck skip away, but Paulides stepped up and rifled a shot under Waterloo starting goalie C.J. Motte from the left circle for a 1-0 Phantoms advantage.

The two teams appeared to be settling in, but the Phantoms rudely interrupted the give-and-take with a sudden three-goal burst to push the lead to 4-0 and silence the Young Arena congregation. Tom Serratore started the deluge, receiving a centering feed from Cody Strang and pumping a high wrister over Motte's blocker at 14:15.

With the Hawks' Alex Jensen sent off for interference 17 seconds later, Strang tipped in Serratore's point shot to raise the lead to three. Dylan Margonari punched in Jiri Sekac's pass from the right post at 16:10 to make it 4-0; the three scores in 1:55 was the fastest trio for Youngstown this season.

After Arnold (on the power play at 9:25) and Patrick Divjak (19:54) broke the ice for Waterloo in the second, Arnold struck for his 17th from the doorstep at 5:54 to draw the home side within 4-3. But Gensler ripped a right-wing wrister past replacement goalie Willie Yanakeff less than three minutes later to quiet the sellout crowd again.

Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid1049089 for full box score.

Sunday, February 28: GREEN BAY 5, YOUNGSTOWN 3

GREEN BAY, Wisc. - Adam Berkle netted a pair of even-strength goals, but the Green Bay Gamblers' special teams were exactly that as the USHL's best team trumped the Youngtown Phantoms 5-3 Sunday afternoon at the Resch Center.

The Phantoms (16-31-2, 34 points) outscored Green Bay 3-1 during five-on-five play, but the East Division-leading (36-8-4, 76 points) registered three power-play goals and another while shorthanded. Youngstown, which topped Waterloo 6-4 Saturday night, went 1-2-0 on its three-game weekend swing through the upper Midwest.

Robert Francis and defenseman Nick Jensen led the way for the home side with a goal and an assist each; goalie Ryan McKay stopped 19 of 22 shots to beat the Phantoms for the third time this season. Stuart Higgins potted an early goal to put the visitors up after 20 mintues, but the Gamblers answered back with five of the next six scores against Matt Mahalak, who made 26 saves in his third start in four games.

The Phantoms played the definition of a solid road period in the first, keeping the Gamblers to the outside and waiting for their chances offensively. They were rewarded for their patience at 12:58, when Higgins tapped in a loose puck at the left post for a 1-0 lead. Defenseman Andrej Sustr tossed a wrister through traffic that was tipped by Tom Serratore to the side of the net for a waiting Higgins, who picked up his fifth.

Francis backhanded his own rebound past Mahalak with Green Bay on its first man-advantage of the game, tying the score with 1:10 elapsed in the second period. The Gamblers also cashed in their second power-play chance, with Anders Lee wiring a one-timer from the left circle inside the right post off an assist from Jensen at 10:22.

Jensen extended the lead with a shorthanded tally two minutes later, completing a two-on-one rush with Chris Crane, sticking a shot under the crossbar to make it 3-1.

A burst from Berkle turned the momentum back in Youngstown's favor, taking a lead pass from Jefferson Dahl, splitting the Green Bay defense and tossing a quick forehand past a sliding McKay to cut the lead to 4-2 at 15:57. The Gamblers and Reed Seckel answered back with 1:15 left in the frame, picking up his 20th when his wrister deflected off a Phantoms stick and into the goal to cap a transition rush.

Ludwig Karlsson stashed a power-play goal with 2:02 gone in the third, raising the lead to 5-2, but Berkle had another response in his back pocket. Six minutes later, Nick Czinder controlled the puck behind the Gamblers' net and swung a backhand pass in front, where Berkle gathered and flipped a backhand of his own under McKay.

Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid1049089 for full box score.

Check out the Youngstown Phantoms Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United States Hockey League Stories from March 2, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central