USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Phantoms Run out of Gas in Third, Fall to Ice 4-1

Published on January 7, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Youngstown Phantoms put together a dominant two periods Saturday night at Pepsi Coliseum, but Indiana Ice goaltender Jon Gillies single-handedly kept his team in the game. When the third rolled around, the effects of games in three straight days began to wear on the Phantoms (18-9-2, T-third East), and the Ice (19-7-4, second East) pounced, netting three goals, including an empty-netter, to come away with a 4-1 win.

Alex Gacek scored the lone goal for the Phantoms while Sean Romeo turned away 24 of 27 shots he faced in the losing effort.

"I thought it looked like we may have ran out of gas in the third period," Head Coach Anthony Noreen said. "I think the effort was still there - I didn't doubt that at all tonight - but we definitely looked a little bit worn."

The Phantoms dictated the pace and play from the onset of the first period. Youngstown threw 15 shots Gillies' way through 20 minutes - many of them grade 'A' scoring opportunities - but he turned away them all.

Sam Anas was denied on a partial breakaway with less than five minutes left in the period when he tried to roof a wrist shot on the glove side. With 57 seconds left Pat Conte earned a penalty shot, but was turned away by Gillies. Then Austin Cangelosi was launched on a breakaway just seconds before the buzzer, but Gillies kicked away his low shot and both teams entered the first intermission scoreless.

"That first period was one of, if not the best, first periods we've played all year," Noreen said.

Gacek finally broke the gridlock with seven minutes remaining in the second period. Ryan Lowney intercepted a puck in the neutral zone, skated it over the blue line and left it for Dylan Margonari. Margonari cut to the outside and got a shot low on Gillies, and after another whack at it, the puck bounced out onto backdoor where Gacek crashed and stashed it in the net.

But the Phantoms put the Ice on the power play in the final minute, and while the Ice had an extra skater because of a delayed penalty, Woody Hudson was able to beat Romeo on a rebound to knot the game at 1-1 despite a 28-12 shot advantage for Youngstown.

"The second period was another really good one for us," Noreen said. "The lesson learned is that you can't let a highly-talented, explosive offensive team hang around. You've got to put them away."

The third period though, belonged to the Ice, who doubled their shot output from the first two periods. Dan Sherer stuffed a puck past Romeo on the backdoor at the 6:43 mark to give Indiana the lead and Drew Smolcynski knocked in a rebound barely six minutes later to make it 3-1. Daniil Tarasov netted an empty-netter with 1:38 remaining to secure the win.

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United States Hockey League Stories from January 7, 2012


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