Goals, Goals, Goals: Phantoms Down Waterloo 10-4

February 29, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release

Youngstown, OH - The Youngstown Phantoms (26-13-4-3, 59pts) put on a dominating performance Thursday morning with a 10-4 victory over the Waterloo Black Hawks. Over 5,200 fans in attendance for the annual School Day Game were treated to an offensive explosion headlined by Ryan Botterill's hat trick. The 10-goal outburst by the Phantoms offense was their second highest output of the season.

The first period in Youngstown started with a bang. Black Hawk forward Grady Deering found the cage 30 seconds into the game after an unsuccessful Phantoms clear attempt. Zach Morin answered right back when he redirected one home at 1:33 to tie the score 1-1. The Phantoms extended their lead at 16:25 when Botterill took advantage of the power play and sent a shot that rattled off the bar and the Black Hawk goalie before trickling over the red line. John Mustard closed the first period off with a goal at 19:00 sending the teams to the intermission tied at two.

Daniel Jencko quickly got the scoring started in the middle frame, cashing in just 1:49 into the second period when he sent a rocket to the top corner of the net. The Phantoms extended their lead after Conner de Haro located the puck behind the net and centered a beautiful pass to Botterill for his second goal of the day. At 13:23, Nicholas Fascia closed the Phantoms lead back to one with his wrister from the top of the left circle. Coming to the end of the second, Botterill tied teammate Adam Pietila for the team lead in goals with 20 and he picked up a hat trick after he fired a missile through the five-hole of Black Hawk goalie Jack Spicer at 15:47. Phantoms forward Ryan Rucinski made the score 6-3 after he sliced through the defense and received a great pass that gave him a wide-open right side of the net at 18:45.

Youngstown kept their foot on the gas and got on the scoreboard early again in the third period. Charlie Cerrato flashed some smooth stick work in front of the crease and poked it home to extend the Phantoms lead 7-3 just 1:33 into the period. Pietila regained the team lead in goals with his 21st at 7:44 after he poked the puck away from an opponent at the blue line and cashed in on a 2-on-0 shorthanded breakaway. Ryan Battaini gave the Black Hawks one last glimpse of hope when he scored off a faceoff at 11:04 and made the score 8-4, but the home team kept the pressure on, scoring two more goals in the period. Hunter Ramos got the first of those two markers, a shorthanded breakaway at 15:38 and the next being a Mikey Burchill wrister at 17:35 to put the game to rest giving the Phantoms a 10-4 win.

Phantoms goalie Aiden Wright stopped 22 of the 26 shots sent his way to log the seventh win of his USHL career. Spicer stopped 28 of 38 shots on the day for Waterloo.

With Botterill's hat trick today and Cerrato's last Saturday, the two helped log only the third time in Youngstown Phantoms history that a hat trick was recorded in consecutive games and the first since 2016.

The Phantoms are back in action again tomorrow night at the Covelli Centre as the first place Dubuque Fighting Saints come to Youngstown. Puck Drop is set for 7:05pm.

By the Numbers

Shots - 38

Saves - 22

Power Play - 2/2

Penalty Kill - 2/2

Goals - Botterill (3), Burchill, Cerrato, Jencko, Morin, Pietila, Ramos, Rucinski,

Assists - Cerrato, de Haro, Jencko, Osburn (3), Pietila, Ramos, Ranallo, Strathmann, Voronin, Young (2)

Box Score - https://ushl.com/ht/#/game-summary/11173

Youngstown Phantoms forward Ryan Botterill (Scott Galvin/Galvin Photography)

United States Hockey League Stories from February 29, 2024

• Goals, Goals, Goals: Phantoms Down Waterloo 10-4 - Youngstown Phantoms
• Fan Favorite Bobby "Big Rig" Kaiser Returns to Trinity Health this Saturday. - Muskegon Lumberjacks
• Lancers Head to the 'Windy City' this Weekend for a Pair of Games with the Chicago Steel - Omaha Lancers
• USHL Notes: February 28, 2024 - USHL
• Caps Hit Road to Michigan for Pair of Games - Madison Capitols
• Phantoms Bombard Hawks, 10-4 - Waterloo Black Hawks
• Fighting Five: Saints Open Series in Youngstown - Dubuque Fighting Saints
• Stars Take on Tri-City for Three Games - Lincoln Stars

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