Bandits Outlast Phantoms 5-2 for the Title
Published on May 4, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (Sunday, May 4, 2008) - Despite 41 saves from goaltender Garrett Bartus, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms fell 5-2 to the St. Louis Bandits in the Robertson Cup Championship game on Sunday afternoon at the Hardees' IcePlex.
Kyle O'Kane led the way for St. Louis, scoring a pair of goals, while goaltender Cal Heeter turned aside 27 shots en route to the Bandits' second consecutive Junior A National Championship.
"These guys gave everything they had, but just ran a bit out of gas," said Phantoms head coach Bob Mainhardt after the tough loss. "We've been beating the odds here all week, playing shorthanded - we've had our share of injuries and hard luck - but to be able to come out and battle the way we did for 60 minutes - I couldn't be prouder of this group of young men.
"In my eyes, they are champions because they proved to everybody how much heart they have. I am very proud of them."
Despite being outshot 14-5 in the opening frame, the Phantoms showed that heart and grinded their way to a 2-2 tie heading into the first intermission.
With 8:01 off the clock, the Bandits drew first blood, however. David Makowski skated the puck in behind the Phantoms' net and dropped a pass back to the edge of the crease to O'Kane who one-timed it home, catapulting St. Louis out to the 1-0 advantage.
The Phantoms had an immediate answer. Just 10 seconds later, Alden Hirschfeld took the puck from center ice, drove wide into the zone, and stuffed a wrap-around in between Heeter's legs. Derek Graham assisted on Hirschfeld's seventh goal of the post-season to even things back up.
The first period scoring frenzy continued only two minutes later when Bandits' captain Mike Murray found a wide open Tom Brooks on the back door. Brooks hammered a shot over Bartus' glove to put St. Louis back on top.
With just 2:08 left in the stanza, Phantoms captain Trent Bonnett threw a shot in from the left point that was redirected over Heeter's glove by veteran forward Miles Winter to even things back up at two-all right before the break. Chad Boeckman also picked up a helper on Winter's fourth marker of the playoffs.
St. Louis jumped back on top just 44 seconds into the middle period. Warda's drop pass found a wide open Mike Merrifield in the slot, who wristed home his eighth of the post-season to give the Bandits the lead for good.
Solid goaltending at both ends held the score at 3-2 for the next 30-plus minutes before O'Kane chimed in with his second of the night at 13:34 of the final frame. After a turnover in neutral ice, O'Kane tallied his sixth goal of the post-season, getting a partial breakaway, and chipping a shot over Bartus' blocker - extending the St. Louis lead to two.
Josh Rabbani's empty-netter with just 34 seconds to go put the icing on the cake, and solidified the Bandits' second straight Robertson Cup Championship Game win over Mahoning Valley.
Miles Winter and defenseman Robert Harrison from the Phantoms were named to the Robertson Cup All-Star team following the game. The Phantoms finished the tournament with a 2-2-1 record, playing five games in five days. Overall, Mahoning Valley went 36-18-4 in the regular season, 6-5-1 in the playoffs, and has moved at least eight more kids on to the Division I NCAA hockey ranks.
"The big thing is that we've prepared a lot of guys for the next step in their life - everyone has become a better hockey player and a better person and we are very proud of that," said Mainhardt. "We are going to start working tomorrow towards next season, and doing everything we can to get back here and win it next time."
North American Hockey League Stories from May 4, 2008
- Bandits Outlast Phantoms 5-2 for the Title - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
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