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USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Game Notes: Clark Cup Playoffs Game 1- vs Muskegon

April 15, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


The Youngstown Phantoms and Muskegon Lumberjacks met six times during the regular season, with the Phantoms posting a 4-1-1 record against the Lumberjacks in those contests, and four of the six games decided by two or fewer goals. They last met on April 4th, with the Phantoms picking up a 5-1 win at home. The Phantoms outscored Muskegon, 20-9 in regula- tion on the year, with three of the Phantoms' wins coming in Muskegon. Youngstown's Kyle Connor led all scorers in the series, totaling six goals and five assists for 11 total points. Goaltender Chris Birdsall won the goaltending battle, posting a 2-0-1 record along with a .97 goals-against average, and a .964 save percentage.

This will be the first all-time playoff meeting between the two sides.

PREVIEWING MUSKEGON: The Lumberjacks finished the regular season with their best record in team history, posting a 35-24-4 mark. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, accounting for 184 total goals scored (3.06 G/GM), their 179 goals allowed was also fourth fewest in the Eastern Conference. Forward Griffen Molino led the Lumberjacks in scoring during the regular season, ac- counting for 18 goals and 46 assists, for 64 total points. Not far behind him is 50-point scorer Matej Paulovic, who scored 17 goals and dished out 33 assists. Only three players accounted for more that 20 goals, including Tom Marchin and Matt Iacopelli who each had 23, and Mark Petaccio who netted 22. In goal, Eric Schierhorn emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the USHL, posting a record of 26-13-4, along with a 2.51 goals-against average, and a .927 save percentage.

LEAVING THE PAST BEHIND: This is the third playoff trip in team history for the Phantoms, with the most recent coming in 2013. The Phantoms reached Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Fi- nal that season, where they fell to the eventual Clark Cup champion Dubuque Fighting Saints. Team captain Josh Nenadal and forward Kyle Connor are the only current Phantoms who were a part of that Playoff team two seasons ago.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Forwards Josh Nenadal and Tyler Sheehy are the only two Phantoms who have advanced to the last possible game of the USHL season. While with the Waterloo Black Hawks during the 2012 Clark Cup Playoffs, Nenadal helped Waterloo advance to Game 5 of the Clark up Final, where they ultimately fell to the Green Bay Gamblers. He registered a goal and three assists in 15 playoff games that season. Last season, Sheehy also helped Waterloo reach Game 5 of the Clark Cup Final, where they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Indiana Ice. Sheehy was the League's sec- ond-leading scorer in last season's playoffs, tallying eight goals and seven assists for 15 total points.

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?: Forwards Kyle Connor and Kiefer Sherwood each ended the sea- son on four-game points streaks, helping the Phantoms to wins in three of those contests. Connor accounted for five goals and six assists over his last four games, earning him CCM Forward of the Week honors for each of the final two weeks of the regular season. The USHL scoring champion fin- ished the year with 34 goals and 46 assists for 80 total points, setting a new career high. Sherwood tallied three goals and three assists over his last four games, including the game-tying goal in last Wednesday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Chicago Steel, clinching a share of the Anderson Cup. Sher- wood was red-hot down the stretch for the Phantoms, accounting for 23 points (9g, 14a) over his last 17 games played.

MONUMENTAL TURNAROUND: The Phantoms saw a 46 point turnaround from last year, mark- ing one of the largest turnarounds in League history. After finishing last in the USHL's Eastern Confer- ence a year ago with a record 17-37-6, they set a team record with 40 wins during the 2014-15 regular season, and won 21 of their final 23 games. Their 17-straight wins also equaled the Phantoms' entire win total from last season.

Clark Cup Playoffs- Game 1

#1 Youngstown Phantoms vs #4 Muskegon Lumberjacks

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

L.C. Walker Arena, Muskegon, MI-7:05 pm

FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE

Game 1- 4/15: YNG@MUS Game 2- 4/17: MUS@YNG Game 3- 4/18: MUS@YNG

Game 4- 4/20: YNG@MUS Game 5- 4/22: MUS@YNG

Italics Indicates Game Played if Necessary

HELLO, MR. ANDERSON: The Youngstown Phantoms earned the 2014-2015 Anderson Cup outright following their 3-1 win over Team USA on Friday night. It marks the first time the Phantoms have earned the Anderson Cup, which is presented to the USHL's regular season champion.

STANDING ON THE TOP: The Phantoms finished the USHL regular season with three of the top 10 point scorers in the USHL, including League-leader Kyle Connor (34G-46A-80P), Max Letunov who finished tied for fourth with 64 points (25g, 39a), and Josh Melnick who ranked eighth with 14 goals and 48 assists for 62 points. As a team, Youngstown led the USHL in scor- ing, averaging 3.88 goals per game, while scoring an all-time team-high 233 goals.

CENTURY CLUB: With an assist in the 4-2 loss to the Omaha Lancers on March 27th, forward Tyler Sheehy hit 100 points for his USHL career. Acquired in a trade with the Waterloo Black Hawks at the trade deadline, Sheehy has accounted for a pair of goals and 10 assists through 13 regular season games in a Phantoms uniform. Through 118 career USHL games, the University of Minnesota commit has accounted for 39 goals and 65 assists. He joins current teammates Kyle Connor and Max Letunov, and alums Austin Cangelosi and JT Stenglein as the only Phantoms to score 100 or more points in their USHL careers.

RECORD BREAKERS: The Phantoms set a new USHL Tier-1 era record (2002-Present) with their 17th consecutive win on March 22nd. The 2013-14 Waterloo Black Hawks and the 2005-06 Sioux Falls Stampede both held the previous record with 16.

The overall USHL record is 19, set by the Des Moines Buccaneers during the 1998-99 season.

WELL AREN'T YOU SPECIAL: The Phantoms special teams units were at of near the top of the USHL all season long.

The Phantoms boasted the fourth-ranked power play in the League, converting on 22.34% of their chances (65/291). Their 65 power play goals led the USHL, and forward Kiefer Sherwood finished fourth in the League with 12 power play markers on the year. The penalty kill was just as potent, ranking second in the League by killing off 202/233 opposition power plays (86.70%), while scoring a League-leading 16 shorthanded goals; six of which belonged to forward Ryan Lomberg, who led the USHL in that category. In Overall, 22 different players recorded at least one special teams point during the regular season.

LEAGUE LEADERS: The Phantoms led or were near th USHL in many offensive categories at the end of the season, including goals (233) assists (382), points (615), power play goals (65), and shorthanded goals (16).

PHANTOMS STEAL THE SHOW: The Phantoms were the main topic of conversation at the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Dubuque, IA, as the first three goals of the game were scored by Youngstown Phantoms. Forward Kevin Conley had a pair of first period goals and an assist, while forward Chase Pearson tallied a first period goal of his own and also dished out an assist, helping Team East to a 7-4 win. For his efforts, Conley was named Team East Most Valuable Player. It did not stop there, as midway through the second period, goaltender Chris Birdsall came into the game for Team West and proceeded to stop all nine shots he faced. Despite being held off the scoresheet, the Phantoms' other two representatives, forward Kyle Con- nor and defenseman Kris MyllarI, each finished with a plus-one on-ice rating.

ALL-TIME LEADER: With his goal in November 16th's 4-3 overtime loss to the Lincoln Stars, Kyle Connor became the Phan- toms' all-time goal-scoring leader, with the 55th goal of his career, surpassing Sam Anas' 54. Connor scored his 50th career goal back on October 11th, making him the 18th player in USHL history to reach the mark, and just the third player in League history to score 50 before his 18th birthday, joining former Waterloo Black Hawk Taylor Cammarata, and former Omaha Lancer Seth Ambroz. In addition to Connor and Anas, former Phantom Austin Cangelosi is the only other Phantom to score 50 goals in a career.

THE NHL COMES CALLING: Three players with Youngstown ties were chosen in last June's NHL Draft - Max Letunov, JJ Piccinich and Nathan Walker. Letunov was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the second round with the 52nd overall se- lection, making him the second-highest NHL Draft selection in Youngstown Phantoms history (Scott Mayfield, 2nd RD, #34 Overall to NYI in 2011). Next up was Walker, who was selected in the third round (89th overall) by the Washington Capitals. He suited up for the Phantoms during the 2012-2013 season, and last September signed a professional contract with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), making him the first Phantoms player to make the jump from the USHL to the AHL. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Walker is the first Australian-born player to be selected in the NHL Draft. The Final Phan- tom taken off the board was Piccinich who was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round with the 103rd overall pick. Currently a freshman at Boston University, Piccinich just wrapped up a two-year USHL career in which he totaled 30 goals and 43 assists in 123 games played.

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