Division Play Continues for Phantoms as Machine Comes Calling
January 8, 2009 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
YOUNGSTOWN, OH (Thursday, January 8th, 2009) - The Mahoning Valley Phantoms will open up the 2009 portion of their home schedule this weekend when they host the Motor City Machine for a two-game series at the Chevrolet Centre.
The first-place Phantoms have met the last-place Machine five times already this season, with Mahoning Valley holding a 5-1-0 record against Motor City so far.
In their last meeting, the Machine put a scare into a Sunday crowd at the Chevrolet Centre, leading 3-1 in the third period before the Phantoms staged a three-goal rally to win 4-3 in overtime at the NAHL North Division Showcase.
Since Sean Clark took over as Interim Head Coach for the Machine in late November, Motor City has pulled off a couple of memorable upsets including a 5-3 win over league-leading St. Louis and, most recently, a 6-4 come-from-behind victory at the expense of the second-place Traverse City North Stars.
Phantoms Head Coach and General Manager Bob Mainhardt says Clark's November promotion gave the struggling Machine new life.
"Coach Clark has taken advantage of being in a hockey hotbed like Detroit and added some talented players," says Mainhardt, "but more importantly it seems he's given his team a new direction and new hope and his players are responding to that."
The series marks the first of two January visits for the Machine to the Chevrolet Centre; they return to Youngstown on the 23rd and 24th for a two-game series.
Saturday night's game will be a special event as the team hosts Mario Lemieux Foundation Night. The Phantoms will wear special edition black, gold and white Foundation jerseys, all of which will be auctioned off following the game.
The proceeds from the auction will go directly to the Foundation to help fund cancer research.
The Phantoms are led in scoring by Jordy Trottier's 10 goals and 14 assists and anchored in net by the goaltending duo of Garrett Bartus and Jordan Tibbett, who have combined for a 2.71 goals against average and a .902 save percentage so far this season.
The Machine, meanwhile, are paced up front by Josh Bussell's 14 goals and 10 assists while Matt Green has emerged as the Machine's starting goalie, sporting a 1-4-0 record with a 2.60 GAA and a .912 SV%.
The Phantoms will continue divisional play on Sunday when they travel to Ann Arbor, MI, to take on Team USA for a 3:00 PM matinee.
Friday and Saturday night's games against the Machine will both begin at 7:15 PM at the Chevrolet Centre.
North American Hockey League Stories from January 8, 2009
- Diggers Drub North Stars; Marquette Up Next - Traverse City North Stars
- Lemieux Charity Event Comes Full-Circle for Phantoms Staffer - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Division Play Continues for Phantoms as Machine Comes Calling - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
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