USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Game Notes vs Waterloo

March 21, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


The Phantoms wrap up their season series with the Waterloo Black Hawks on Saturday night at 8:05pm.

Youngstown earned their 15th consecutive win on Friday night, and still remain in first place in the USHL, one point ahead of both the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Tri-City Storm. The Phantoms need just one point to clinch their third playoff birth in team history.

LAST NIGHT RECAP: The Youngstown Phantoms (34-13-5) collected a 2-1 win over the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday night. Forwards Josh Melnick and Josh Nenadal were the goal scorers for the Phantoms, who extend their winning streak to 15 games.

The Black Hawks kept the puck in the Phantoms' end throughout most of the opening period, however the Phantoms drew first blood late in the first, when forward Max Letunov threw a pass to Melnick who was parked out front, and he slammed it past Black Hawk goaltender Cale Morris, giving the Phan- toms a 1-0 lead, 16:33 into the frame.

The Phantoms took that lead into the locker room after 20 minutes, and in the second, the Phantoms started to turn the tables and get some good looks on net, however they were not able to solve Morris, and Youngstown took their 1-0 lead into the third period.

In the third, the Phantoms continued to get a number of good looks on goal, however could not find the back of the net. With just 4:20 left, Waterloo forward Brock Boeser lit the lamp on the power play, tying the game, 1-1.

The Phantoms were not deterred, and with just 42 seconds left in regulation after a highlight-reel save from Phantoms goaltender Colin DeAugustine at the other end, forward Chase Pearson sent a pass from the right wing side of the offensive zone to Nenadal who was camped out front, and he slammed home the game-winner against his former team, sending the Phantoms to a 2-1 victory.

PREVIEWING WATERLOO: The Black Hawks are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, sitting in sixth place just seven points out of the fourth, and final, playoff spot. They enter the night as one of the USHL's hottest teams, winning 14 of their last 18 games. They are led by Brock Boeser who is tied for fourth in League scoring with 56 points (30g, 26a). Behind him is Tom Novak who has accounted for 14 goals and 34 assists, and Henrik Rommel with 14 goals and 21 assists. In goal, Cale Morris has been nearly unbeatable since being traded from the Chicago Steel, accounting for a 14-4-3 record, along with a 1.56 goals-against average and a .948 save per- centage in 21 games played with Waterloo.

WELCOME BACK: Forward Josh Nenadal scored the game-winner with 42 seconds left in Friday's 2-1 win over Waterloo. It marked the first game in Waterloo for him since being traded from the Black Hawks to Youngstown during the 2012-13 season. In 38 career games with Waterloo, Nenadal tallied a goal and four assists. This season, Nenadal has set career highs in goals (7), assists (9), and points (16).

CHASING HISTORY: The Phantoms are currently riding a 15-game winning streak, and are just one win shy of tying the USHL Tier-1 era record (2002-Present) of 16, held by the 2013-14 Waterloo Black Hawks, and the 2005-06 Sioux Falls Stampede. The overall USHL record is 19, set by the Des Moines Buccaneers during the 1998-99 season.

HELLO, OLD FRIENDS: This weekend marks the first time that forward Tyler Sheehy will be taking on his former team. Sheehy was acquired from Waterloo on the March 2nd trade deadline in exchange for Bryan Lemos. Sheehy accounted for 37 goals and 55 assists in 104 career games with Waterloo, has totaled a goal and four assists in his first five games with the Phantoms. Lemos has fit in nicely with the Hawks, registering a goal and three assists in his four games with Waterloo, after accounting for 13 goals and 21 assists in a Phantoms uniform.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING!: Forwards Max Letunov and Kiefer Sherwood are each riding some impressive point streaks. After sitting out both games last weekend, Letunov picked up where he left off and extended his point streak top 11 games with an assist in Friday's 2-1 win over Waterloo.

He has totaled eight goals and nine assists on his point streak, with multi-point efforts coming in five of those games. Sherwood is currently on a six game point streak, accounting for three goals and nine assists in that span, with a career-high four point game (1g, 3a) on February 28th.

Game 53: Youngstown Phantoms vs Waterloo Black Hawks

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Young Arena, Waterloo, IA-8:05 pm

YNG: 34-13-5, 73 PTS-1st Place (East)

WAT : 23-24-6, 52 PTS-6th Place (West)

STANDING ON THE TOP: The Phantoms currently boast three of the top five point scorers in the USHL, including League-leader Kyle Connor (27G-38A-65P), Max Letunov, who ranks third with 58 points (23g, 35a), and Josh Melnick who is tied for fourth with 12 goals and 43 assists for 55 points. As a team, Youngstown leads the USHL in scoring, averaging 3.88 goals per game.

JUST WIN, BABY!: Goaltender Colin DeAugustine extended his winning streak to nine games, with a 29 save perfor- mance in last night's 2-1 win over Waterloo. He has won 10 of his last 11 starts, and is 13-1-0 overall in his last 16 games played. He has posted a 1.74 goals-against average, and a .935 save percentage on his current nine game winning streak.

BIRD IS THE WORD: Goaltender Chris Birdsall earned his sixth win in a row on Saturday, turning out a 27-save perfor- mance in the 5-1 win over Sioux City. The Boston College commit is 8-2-0 in his last 10 starts, posting a 2.38 goals-against av- erage and a .917 save percentage in that span. He has allowed more than two goals just once on his current winning streak.

OFF THE SCHNEID: With a pair of goals last Friday, forward Kevin Conley snapped his 18-game scoring drought, dating back to December 19th. The NHL Draft top prospect now has six goals to go along with a pair of assists in his first USHL sea- son.

CENTURY CLUB: With a power play goal in March 7th's 6-2 win over Sioux Falls, forward Max Letunov reached 100 points in his USHL career. He joins current teammate Kyle Connor, and alums Austin Cangelosi and JT Stenglein, as the only Phan- toms to score 100 or more points in their USHL careers. The Arizona Coyotes prospect has 42 goals and 58 assists through 109 career USHL games, and is currently third in the League with 57 points (23g, 34a) this season. He is on a 10-game point streak, accounting for eight goals and eight assists in that span.

MAN DOWN? NO PROBLEM: The Phantoms continued their shorthanded prowess last Friday night as Josh Melnick scored a shorthanded goal late in the third, giving the Phantoms 15 on the year, which leads the USHL. Youngstown has scored a shorthanded marker in four of their last eight games. Forward Ryan Lomberg leads the USHL with six shorthanded goals on the year.

WELL AREN'T YOU SPECIAL: The Phantoms special teams units have been amongst the best in the USHL all season long. The Phantoms currently boast the fifth-ranked power play in the League, converting on 21.57% of their chances (55/255), Their 55 power play goals leads the USHL, and forward Kiefer Sherwood is currently third in the League with 11 power play markers on the year. The penalty kill has been just as solid, ranking second in the USHL, killing off 176/204 opposition power plays (86.27%), while scoring a League-leading 15 shorthanded goals; six of which belong to forward Ryan Lomberg, who leads the USHL in that category. In Overall, 20 different players have recorded at least one special teams point this season.

LEAGUE LEADERS: The Phantoms are amongst the leaders in the USHL in many offensive categories, including goals (202) assists (326), points (528), power play goals (55), and shorthanded goals (15). Currently, the Phantoms lead the League in scoring, averaging 3.88 goals per game.

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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