USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Phantoms Release Schedule

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


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Hot summer days in the city will soon give way to cool fall nights on the ice as the Youngstown Phantoms gear up for their second season of USHL hockey at the Covelli Centre. The Phantoms kick off their season on Saturday evening, Oct. 16 as they host their division rival, the Indianapolis Ice, at 7:30 p.m.

The 60-game United States Hockey League schedule runs from October through April with playoff contests continuing into May. A league high 16 USHL Member Clubs will be split into two conferences for the coming season. Beginning on Friday, October 1st, the League will open its 480-game schedule, which represents the most games ever played in a single USHL season.

The addition of the Dubuque (Iowa) Fighting Saints and the Muskegon (Michigan) Lumberjacks makes this the third consecutive season that the USHL has welcomed expansion teams. The Phantoms will host Dubuque for the first time on November 20 and Muskegon on January 8. The Western Division will include the Des Moines Buccaneers, Dubuque Fighting Saints, Fargo Force, Lincoln Stars, Omaha Lancers, Sioux City Musketeers, Sioux Falls Stampede, and the Tri City Storm. The Eastern Division includes the Youngstown Phantoms, Cedar Rapids Rough Riders, Chicago Steel, Green Bay Gamblers, Indiana Ice, Muskegon Lumberjacks, Team USA, and the Waterloo Blackhawks.

The Phantoms home schedule is dominated by weekend dates, though weekday games are also scheduled on select nights throughout the season. Most home games will begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening one hour earlier. Sunday games will be 2 p.m. matinees with the exception of October 17th which will start at 5 p.m. to accommodate the Browns - Steelers game for the fans.

Team President Alex Zoldan commented, "Our 2010-11 schedule is very fan friendly, and we are excited to get the season underway. We can expect the Phantoms to be a legitimate Clark Cup contender this season."

The Phantoms will play all 30 home games at the Covelli Centre this season. The Covelli Centre, in it's fifth year, is the area's premier entertainment venue for concerts, hockey games, and other local events. Said Executive Director of the Covelli Centre, Eric Ryan, "We are looking forward to a fun-filled year with family entertainment at its best this season. We believe this schedule will give hockey fans of the valley many opportunities to come check out fast-paced, hard-hitting USHL hockey."

At the conclusion of the 480-game regular season schedule, the top six teams in each Conference will qualify for the Clark Cup Playoffs. The first and second place teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences will earn a first-round playoff bye as the remaining four teams in each Conference will vie for the two remaining spots in the second round. The winner of each playoff race in the respective conferences will meet in a best-of-five final series for the league's coveted Clark Cup.

"I'm really excited and personally looking forward to the upcoming hockey season. We have a great group of young men, and we want to give Youngstown a team to be proud of and proud to support," says Head Coach Curtis Carr.

Zoldan also mentioned that, "Not only will we have player talent full of future collegiate and professional prospects to make for a great game on ice, but we will be offering an entertainment value and excitement that is second to none."

The Phantoms are bringing back some great promotions from last season as well as featuring some new fun-filled nights. Returning promotional games are Star Wars Night, Scout Night and numerous local benefit games. The annual 10 a.m. school day faceoff for thousands of local children is slated for February 9 against Indianapolis.

Fans can celebrate the holidays with the Phantoms this season. Youngstown will play at home on Wednesday, Nov. 24 versus the Des Moines Buccaneers to kick of the extended Thanksgiving weekend. The Christmas holiday will feature back to back games on December 28th and 29th. Green beer will be flowing for the Phantoms' St. Patrick's Day game on March 17, and there will be some exciting pranks as part of the April 1 Fool's Day game.

The Phantoms begin practices on September 1 and will play a set of home exhibition games against the Chicago Steel September 10-11. These exhibition games will be held at the Ice Zone and are open to the public. They will then face the U.S. National Team in Ann Arbor, Michigan on September 17-18. The Phantoms will play in the Fall Classic in Sioux City September 23-25, showcasing their talents in front of hundreds of NCAA and NHL coaches, managers and scouts.

Season tickets for the 2010-11 season are available now. Reserved seat packages start as low as $285 for all 30 home games. Executive level packages are available for $345 and Ice level seats for just $405. For more info, call 330-747-7825. For the complete schedule, click here: www.youngstownphantoms.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from August 2, 2010


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