USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Shootout Loss Snaps Phantoms' Four-Game Streak

Published on December 28, 2011 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Youngstown Phantoms and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders needed more than 60 minutes to decide a winner in their first two outings this season - a pair of overtime wins for the Phantoms (16-6-2, T-second East). They needed more than 65 minutes Wednesday night at The Stable in Cedar Rapids, but this time it was the RoughRiders (10-9-7, fifth East) who skated away with a 2-1 victory, coming in a shootout.

The shootout loss netted the Phantoms a point, but it also snapped their four-game winning streak and three-game string of consecutive road wins. Mike Ambrosia scored the lone goal for Youngstown while goaltender Matthew O'Connor played incredible in net, making 41 saves in one of his best performances of the season.

But unfortunately for the Phantoms, his Cedar Rapids counterpart Jake Hildebrand was every bit as good and made three saves in the shootout, sealing the win for the RoughRiders and sullying O'Connor's outstanding outing.

"It is what it is, but we're not going to judge what happens in a shootout," Head Coach Anthony Noreen said. "That said we were disappointed. It wasn't our best game but Matt O'Connor was great all the way through."

Cedar Rapids center Nick Saracino was whistled for elbowing at the 13:24 mark in the first, putting the Phantoms on the power play, and they wasted no time capitalizing. Ambrosia took a shot from a bad angle in the right corner, but the rebound caromed straight out into the slot and the Princeton commit quickly collected the puck and threw it past Hildebrand just 10 seconds after the start of the man-advantage. It was Ambrosia's eighth goal of the season and it extended his point-scoring streak to five games, and the Phantoms entered the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.

"When you're on the road, in a hostile environment, you want to try to take the crowd out of it, so it was nice to get that first one," Noreen said.

The RoughRiders ratcheted up the pressure in the second period, however, and after a failed Phantoms' clearing attempt off a rebound, Landon Smith knotted things up at the 10:57 mark. Saracino nearly gave Cedar Rapids the lead less that three minutes later when he was fed low in the slot, but O'Connor gloved and held onto the puck as he was bowled over.

Then with less than two minute left in the period, a RoughRiders shot took a bad bounce off the end boards, leaving Riley Bourbonnais with an open net on the backdoor, but O'Connor slid over to make the save and preserve the tie heading into the third.

"Matt O'Connor gave us every chance in the world to win tonight," Noreen said. "He played phenomenal.

"It's a team game but [in the second period] he bailed us out."

Both teams traded chances in the third period but neither could solve the goaltender at the other end and had the same luck, or lack thereof, in overtime, requiring a shootout to decide the winner. Austin Cangelosi, Ryan Belonger and Ambrosia were all stopped by Hildebrand, while Jack Rowe scored the shootout-winner for the RoughRiders in the second round.

"We had quite a few chances to put the game away in the third, and we didn't put the puck in the net," Noreen said. "Against a team like that, in a hostile environment, you have to."

Phantom by the Numbers

41 - Saves

27 - Shots

1G-0A-1PT - Ambrosia

100 percent - Penalty Kill (5-for-5)

33 percent - Power Play (1-for-3)

Staying Hot

With a first-period goal, Mike Ambrosia stretched his goal-scoring streak to three games and his point-scoring streak to five games. He has 10 points on four goals and six assists over that span.

Next on the Slate

The Phantoms are back in action this weekend when they travel to Indianapolis, Ind. to take on the Ice for a pair of games Friday and Saturday. The puck drops Friday at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday at 6:05 p.m. EST.

Single game tickets for the 2011-12 season are on sale now. Season ticket and flex plans start at the low price of just $90. Call the Phantoms office today at 330.747.7825 for more information or to make a reservation today! For a complete Phantoms schedule, visit www.youngstownphantoms.com .

Check out the Youngstown Phantoms Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2011


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