USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Phantoms Fall 2-1 in Overtime, Drop First of Two-Game Set in Des Moines

Published on January 20, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


DES MOINES, Iowa - The Youngstown Phantoms' recent woes continued Friday night as they fell 2-1 to the Des Moines Buccaneers in overtime in the first of a three-day, three-game road trip.

Sam Anas scored the lone goal for the Phantoms (18-11-3, fourth East), while Matthew O'Connor played sublime in net, turning away 32 of 34 shots. But unfortunately for Youngstown, his counterpart Jason Kasdorf was just as sharp as he captured his first victory over the Phantoms in four starts, and the Buccaneers (13-14-3, fifth West) got their first win on home ice since Dec. 3.

The overtime loss stretched the Phantoms' winless streak to four games.

"[Kasdorf] made two or three of the best saves I've seen all season," Head Coach Anthony Noreen said. "But you know what? Matt O'Connor did the same thing. From a goaltending standpoint, it was probably the best game I've seen all year."

The Phantoms had plenty of chances early in the first period, but Kasdorf was on top of his game - far from the case with his previous outings against Youngstown. But with just 56 seconds left in the period, and the Phantoms on their second power play of the game, he had a hiccup.

Mike Ambrosia sent a pass from below the left circle to Anas at the right point and he patiently waited for an opening before stepping into a slap shot. Kasdorf got a piece of it, but not nearly enough, and the Phantoms took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

"Sam is probably the best player with time and space on our team," Noreen said. "He's provided a spark for our power play and it's given him a chance to display his best asset."

Gasper Kopitar knotted things up 6:13 into the second stanza, and just seconds after the Buccaneers' first power play had expired. He got a pass from Cal Decowski along the goal line and tucked the puck over O'Connor's shoulder, just inside the near-post for his first goal of the evening. The Phantoms got a flurry of shots off in the latter stages of the period, but couldn't convert and entered the third tied 1-1.

The third period was scoreless as both teams traded chances, but O'Connor and Kasdorf one-upped each other at each end of the ice. O'Connor's biggest save came less than a minute into the period when he denied Patrick Kirtland twice in a span of seconds - first on a one-timer off a draw and then on the subsequent rebound.

"That was a highlight-reel save," Noreen said. "No doubt about it. It kept us in the game."

But Kasdorf robbed JT Stenglein on the door step later in the third, one of 33 saves for the Winnipeg Jets' draft pick on the evening, to force overtime. Then with just 19 second remaining in the extra frame, Kopitar netted the game-winner when he knocked in his own rebound off an odd-man rush.

"Tonight was a game that could have gone either way," Noreen said. "It was as good a USHL hockey game as you're going to see and we expect it to be the same, if not tougher, tomorrow."

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United States Hockey League Stories from January 20, 2012


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