USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Brown, Power Play Remain Red-Hot as Phantoms Take Game 3 vs. Gamblers

Published on April 20, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Youngstown Phantoms had been there before. Last year the Phantoms returned Youngstown after splitting the first two in Green Bay, only to see the Gamblers take Games 3 and 4 and at the Covelli Centre, and end their season on home ice.

If history was planning to repeat itself, it will have to take a rain check. The Phantoms scored a pair of goals in the first two minutes of the second, and added another in the final minute of the middle period en route to a 4-2 victory over the Gamblers in Game 3 of the best-of-five opening-round Clark Cup Playoff series.

Cam Brown led the way with a pair of power-play goals and as the Phantoms went 2-for-5 on the man-advantage while going 4-for-4 on the penalty kill against the high powered Green Bay offense. Markus McCrea scored the eventual game-winner and Sam Anas found the back of the net for the second straight night as the Phantoms took a 2-1 series lead over the No. 2-seed Gamblers.

Goaltender Sean Romeo turned away 26 of 28 shots to pick up his second straight win.

"Aside for the goals, I thought our style really showed in the second period," head coach Anthony Noreen said. ". Those goals, they weren't bang-bang. They were relentless goals - hard-working, constant puck pressure that led to a puck going in the back of the net. That's something that you have to have in playoff hockey."

The Phantoms have the opportunity to clinch the series in Game 4 Sunday. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. EST at the Covelli Centre.

After trading goals in the opening period, Brown put the Phantoms in front 2-1 just 23 seconds into the second. After a penalty spilled over into the period, Austin Cangelosi found the Natick, Mass., native on the backdoor and he buried it for his second power-play goal of the night and third of the series.

"The best way I can describe what Cam's going through right now it hockey karma," Noreen said. "In any other sport he's probably sitting in the stands right now," after losing three teeth and requiring nearly a dozen stiches after he blocked a shot in the waning seconds of a 6-3 loss to Cedar Rapids three weeks ago.

"When you do things the right way in this game it has a way of rewarding you," Noreen said. "I think Cam's just flat-out being rewarded right now."

McCrea put the Phantoms up two goals on the following shift. Defenseman Tommy Davis intercepted a clearing attempt at the blue line and threw a shot back on net. Alfred Larsson grabbed the rebound and tossed it back, and McCrea was able to knock the puck loose of Gamblers goaltender Tony Kujava to make it 3-1 just 1:40 into the period.

"That really got us going," Brown said. "I don't know if you saw our bench, but we were going pretty nuts."

The Phantoms continued to press and Anas made it 4-1 with just 53 seconds remaining in the period. Kyle Connor forced a turnover in the corner and moved it out to Luke Stork in the slot, but he lost his edge and fell on the puck. The Green Bay defense collapsed on him, but Anas was able to pry the puck out from the scrum, pull off a quick backhand-to-forehand deke from in tight in front of the net, and slip it around the outstretched toe of Kujava.

The Gamblers were able cut the lead in half midway through the third period, when Sebastian Weberg wrangled a loose puck in the crease after an initial save from Romeo. But the Phantoms did an excellent job of closing shooting lanes, allowing the Gamblers just five shots in the final frame, even with Kujava pulled for the extra attacker for the final 2:13.

Sheldon Dries put the Gamblers in front off a bang-bang play less than four minutes into the opening period. Brown tied it at the 10:15 mark - just 50 seconds into the Youngstown's first power play of the game. Cangelosi fired a hard pass through the crease and Brown redirected it in from the back post.

Second-year defenseman Eric Sweetman said that although the Phantoms have done well to position themselves heading into Sunday's Game 4, the work is far from over.

"It's nice to get up in the series against Green Bay, but the job's not done," he said. "It's not even close to done."

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United States Hockey League Stories from April 20, 2013


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