USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Late Goal Lifts Dubuque over Phantoms 5-4

Published on March 14, 2021 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, OH - A power play goal with 34.2 seconds remaining in regulation stole at least one point from the Youngstown Phantoms (7-22-3-2, 19 points) as they fell to the Dubuque Fighting Saints 5-4 at the Covelli Centre Saturday night. Youngstown trailed 4-2 at the end of the first period, but battled back to tie the game just past the midway point of the third period.

"It's tough to stomach," said Phantoms Head Coach Brad Patterson. "Our guys, as the game went, obviously found a way to fight back. Obviously not happy with the way things (went) in the last minute and a half, but that's out of your control. It's hard to come back in a game like that, we have every opportunity, it's just hard to let it slip away like that."

The pace was fast and furious from the drop of the puck, beginning with Dubuque scoring just 57 seconds into the game. Henry Thrun's wrister from the right circle staked the Saints to a 1-0 advantage, but Youngstown had a quick answer. 44 seconds later Sergei Kuznetzov redirected Bennett Zmolek's shot past Lukas Parik (12 saves) knotting the game at 1-1. "It's a new county, new team, new style of play (for Kuznetzov), everything is different." said Patterson. "I think he's gradually gotten better every time he's been on the ice. He's been a big addition for us. He does so many things that help our club."

Dubuque regained the lead at 7:55 when Connor Kurth stripped Georgii Merkulov at the Youngstown blue line, walked in on net, and slipped a shot under Colin Purcell's (6 saves) left leg to put Dubuque back ahead. The Phantoms answered back at 10:20 when Winter Wallace whipped a shot from the blue line past Parik to tie the game at 2-2. Jaden Grant got an assist on the play, extending his scoring streak to four games, matching Kuznetzov for the longest active streak on the team.

Dubuque got back-to-back goals 58 seconds apart from Robert Cronin at 15:47 at 16:45 respectively to take a 4-2 lead. A puck off the meshing that wasn't blown dead helped contribute to Cronin's first goal, as Cronin scored 15 seconds after the play should have been whistled down. Cronin's second goal was scored from below the goal line, banked in off of Purcell's back and into the net. Purcell was replaced in favor of Mattias Sholl (18 saves) after the Saints' fourth goal.

Youngstown drew one closer at 2:21 of the second period on a power play goal from Jack Malone. Malone was given time and space in the right circle and ripped a wrister high to the short-glove side on Parik, trimming the Phantoms deficit to 4-3. The goal was Malone's sixth of the season and accounted for his 98th point in the USHL. Parik left the game at 7:33 of the second period due to injury, replaced by Hobie Hedquist (17 saves).

Midway through the third period, Youngstown found the equalizer. As Kuznetzov carried the puck down the right-wing wall into the zone, he found Dylan Gratton trailing the play down the left side. After Kuznetzov's perfect cross-ice pass, Gratton glided from the blue line to the top of the left circle and snapped a wrister past Hedquist at 10:08 for his second goal of the year, tying the game at 4-4.

With overtime looming, Gratton was called for interference with 1:36 remaining in regulation. With the first minute of their power play gone and time ticking down, Matt Savoie fired a wrister from the left circle that Sholl kicked out easily. However, Sholl had come three feet out of the blue paint to challenge Savoie on the wrist shot, and when the shot rebounded off of Sholl's left pad, it bounced right to Stephen Halliday, who fired it into an empty cage with 34.2 seconds left in regulation, sealing the victory for Dubuque.

Youngstown and Dubuque still have two games remaining to be made up from their season series that were postponed from early February. The Phantoms have won four of the first six matchups between the two teams. Youngstown heads to the road for the next six games, starting with a trio of games against Team USA next weekend.

By the Numbers

Shots - 33

Saves - Purcell: 6, Sholl: 18

Power Play - 1/4

Penalty Kill - 1/3

Goals - Gratton, Kuznetzov, Malone, Wallace

Assists - Grant, Isogai, Kuznetzov, May, Merkulov (2), Zmolek,

Box Score - https://www.ushl.com/view#/game-summary/9519

Check out the Youngstown Phantoms Statistics

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