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USHL Youngstown Phantoms

L'Esperance Pots Three, Storm Blows By Phantoms in Overtime

December 14, 2013 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


KEARNEY, Nebraska - As the reigning CCM USHL Forward of the Week, and coming off of a four-goal performance last weekend at Cedar Rapids, Tri-City Storm forward Joel L'Esperance was pegged as a player to watch entering Friday night's contest against the Youngstown Phantoms.

After his second hat trick in three games, L'Esperance is well on his way to defending his Forward of the Week honors.

In a game that featured seven special teams goals (two shorthanded), a missed penalty shot (which also was won shorthanded), an ejection, a game-tying extra attacker goal with four seconds left, and countless more thwarted breakaways, the Michigan Tech commit's third goal was the difference in a wild, 6-5 Tri-City victory over the Phantoms in overtime. L'Esperance scored on a two-on-one just 29 seconds into the bonus period to send the Storm (7-16-2, 16 points) home with the victory.

"I thought on both sides, at times, it was a good hockey game," said Phantoms coach Anthony Noreen. "At times, there were some big mistakes-both ways. I thought we made some mistakes, we made some big ones, and I thought the same the other way."

Noreen talked all week about the importance of secondary scoring, and he got what he hoped for early on in the contest. Zach Evancho notched the game's first goal just 1:57 in, tucking away his own rebound on a breakaway to give the Phantoms (7-12-5, 19 points) the early lead. Alex Rauter, acquired last week from the Omaha Lancers, earned his first point as a Phantom on the goal.

Tri-City tied it shortly after, with L'Esperance scoring on the power play at 5:36. It was a five-on-three goal, the first of many such opportunities for either side in this game.

Late in the first, Tri-City had an opportunity to go ahead 2-1 after Drew Mayer won a penalty shot while shorthanded, but Youngstown goaltender Colin DeAugustine stopped Mayer with an emphatic glove save, coolly robbing Mayer and dropping the puck into the crease in one motion.

Despite the rarity of a shorthanded penalty shot, the first period was tame compared to the events of the second. L'Esperance put Tri-City ahead 2-1 with a shorthanded tally at 4:00, converting a two-on-one with Garrett Gamez, who recorded four assists in L'Esperance's four-goal breakout last weekend. On that same power play, Youngstown nullified the shorthanded goal allowed by scoring a power play goal courtesy of Kiefer Sherwood, who ripped a one-timer from the left circle after taking a pass from Kyle Connor. Connor extended his point streak to 11 games with the assist. For Sherwood, it was his fourth goal of the season, and it represented another goal for Youngstown by a player not named Kyle Connor or JJ PIccinich, who have provided nearly all of the scoring of late.

"We were really happy with our forward group tonight," said Noreen on the secondary scoring. "All of those guys: obviously Kiefer scores a goal, I thought Zach Evancho was very good tonight, and Luke Stork scores a goal. Conor Lemirande continues to knock on the door. I feel like one game, he's just going to break out and have three, because he's playing so well for us, and he's doing everything but putting the puck in the net."

Shortly after Sherwood's tally, Lukas Klok received a double minor and an ejection for a hit from behind. On the four-minute double minor, Austin Poganski scored for Tri-City on the front end, and Luke Stork scored shorthanded for Youngstown on the back end after beating Gamez and putting a backhand-forehand move on Storm goaltender Hayden Lavigne. Five minutes after that, Piccinich scored on yet another power play to put the Phantoms ahead by a 4-3 score. Piccinich's goal was notable in that it came with Youngstown utilizing a five-forward power play outlet with Alex Rauter at the point in the absence of Klok.

"We needed a left shot up there," said Noreen on the unique five-man unit. "Losing Lukas, he's arguably been our best [defenseman] over the last few weeks. We needed to make a quick decision. We brought Alex Rauter here for a reason: to score goals, and to play in offensive-type situations. If we're not going to use him on the power play, there's no reason we should have brought him here. We plugged him in there, and I thought he did a very good job up there for the rest of the game."

The Storm, who were previously 0-13-1 after two periods, switched to goaltender Jacob Johansson after two. Johansson, the usual Tri-City starter, put on a masterful performance coming in cold off of the bench in the third period, stopping eight of nine shots, allowing Tri-City to mount a comeback. Christian Horn scored on the power play at 7:00, and Daniel Labosky put the Storm ahead 5-4 at 8:08. The quick goals stunned the Phantoms, who themselves were 5-2-1 when leading after two.

After failing to equalize on a five-on-three in the final half of the third period, the Phantoms' chances were looking bleak, until Ryan McMurphy was whistled for holding at 17:50. Noreen immediately pulled the goalie for the duration of the late power play, and although the Phantoms could not score six-on-four, Piccinich leveled the game at five apiece thanks to a backdoor feed from Max Letunov just after the penalty expired. The tying goal came with four seconds left in the game.

"It was fitting that [this game] went to overtime. It's great to get a point; it's the first time we've had one of those where we've scored with a pulled goalie, so I think as far as confidence goes, it's great, and it's something to draw back on," said Noreen.

Seemingly before the high of Piccinich's dramatic tying goal wore off, however, the Storm won the game in overtime courtesy of L'Esperance, who duplicated his second goal by tapping in a two-on-one break just 29 seconds into the extra frame. The goal sent the Phantoms to their fourth overtime loss in their last six games. On the bright side, Youngstown now has points in five of their last six games. On the downside, they have won just one of those six.

"It's a little bit of both," said Noreen, on whether or not his team is happy to get one point, or disappointed to not get two more regularly. "We know we need to win games. It's frustrating, you feel like you get to four [overtime games], you like your chances to at least get two. Kind of the way four-on-four goes, we get our attack, Kyle beats a guy and kind of gets hauled up. They go the other way, and we come down and the puck bounces and they [get the goal]. You're going to get grade A chances back and forth. It's just a matter of time before we get our two-on-one, or breakaway, or whatever it might be in overtime, and win some of those.

"I think the positive thing to draw from is getting that goal late. It would have been very easy for us to shut down shop, and I think we did a good job of pressing late. We had three or four 'grade A's,' and I credit their goaltender, who came in cold and did a really good job. A hard fought point on the road."

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