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Ice Win Again

March 22, 2014 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Indiana Ice News Release


One year ago today the Indiana Ice were saddled with a 21-37-6 record and sat in last place in the Eastern Conference of the USHL. One night after clinching the Eastern Conference's best record, the Ice beat the Youngstown Phantom's 4-3 Saturday at Pan Am Pavilion.

Brian Pinho did the heavy lifting as Indy improved their record to 38-9-7 and closed the gap with the Waterloo Black Hawks in the race for the number one seed in the Clark Cup playoffs. Pinho scored a trio of second period goals and reversed a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead as Indiana hung on for the victory.

His "natural hat-trick" came on a night where the Ice was a little sluggish after Friday's 5-0 win over the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Pinho went low and spent productive time near the Youngstown goal crease.

"When you play the Phantoms you don't get a lot of pretty goals," commented Pinho. "I wanted to get some grinder goals."

The first-year forward scored what became the game-winner with one second remaining in the middle stanza to complete the three-goal explosion. Jacob Pritchard assisted on this lamplighter and Pinho's first goal of the middle period. Michael Preston provided the other helper on Pinho's 23rd goal of the season.

The three unanswered goals began at the 13:36 when Pinho teamed with Aidan Muir and Pritchard to tie the score at 2-all. Muir teamed with Pinho again 1:14 later to give Indiana a 3-2 lead.

The hosts needed the two-goal cushion because Youngstown Kyle Connor scored the third period's only goal to cut the lead to the final 4-3 margin.

Timothy Shoup scored the only tally of the first period with a blue-line blast which found net at 11:55 of the opening frame. Joe Sullivan set up Shoup's slap shot.

Jason Pawloski stopped 22-shots to earn his 25th victory in net.

"Last year was ugly," commented Indy captain Tyler Pham. "This is the best group I have played with in my three years collectively both on and off the ice."

The Ice stays in town for a Sunday faceoff with the Muskegon Lumberjacks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The puck drops at 3:05 pm.

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