Sports stats



USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Phantoms Come up Short on Wednesday Morning Matinee

January 22, 2014 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Despite a quick start that saw the Phantoms jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, the Indiana Ice prevailed with a 7-4 victory on a chilly Wednesday morning at the Covelli Center.

Maxim Letunov and Kiefer Sherwood scored goals 24 seconds apart in what appeared to be a great start for Youngstown, but the Ice responded with five unanswered goals to take a 5-2 lead to the dressing room after one period of play.

"I'll be honest, it was great that we got the goals, but I still don't think it was a great start," said Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen. "We don't judge it by goals; it's a lot of using the first period to figure out what kind of game it's going to be."

Not too long after the Phantoms had gone up by two, Conor Lemirande and Ice forward Dwyer Tschantz engaged in a fight near the team benches, earning major penalties for fighting. Even though the altercation occurred at a time where the Phantoms were ahead, Coach Noreen was pleased at the fact that Lemirande stood up for himself.

"Absolutely. Even though it was 2-0, I don't think we had a great start," said Noreen, when asked if he liked that Lemirande engaged with Tschantz despite the Phantoms' lead. "We wanted more, and we wanted to have an energy shift. We're not going to back down from challenges. Some teams, if they're up a few goals, they back down. We will never do that as long as I'm here."

Noreen added that he does not necessarily believe in the value of fighting from a momentum standpoint.

"I've never been a guy who's thought of it as that. I think of it as more of a way to police the game. Conor Lemirande's a guy where, if he's going to play at the next level, he needs to do that. There's a lot of [scouts] sitting in the stands. If Conor backs down from that, it might hurt him in the long run."

Dwyer Tschantz scored the fifth goal for the Ice in the dying seconds of the first period on the power play. Austin Kosack and Denis Smirnov picked up assists on what was a rather nice passing play at the very last moment of the frame, a backbreaking goal that capped off the Ice's five-goal rally.

The second period saw the Phantoms get back to a two-goal deficit thanks to a great individual effort by forward Tyler Spezia. After entering the opponents' zone, Spezia charged to the goalmouth and was able to wrap the puck around goaltender Jason Pawloski while getting upended.

"I don't think our quit is ever questioned by anyone," said Noreen. "Our character in the room is as good as anyone's. It's not a matter of want, desire, or passion; it's the growing pains of going through this league with a young team.

"[Indiana] is made of men, they're big, strong, and pretty doesn't work against them. If you watch today's game, the guys that had success were our bottom six. They kept it simple and made strong plays. The high-end, skilled guys kind of showed their youth against this team."

The Phantoms kept fighting, as Kiefer Sherwood scored a power play goal about five minutes into the third period to get Youngstown within one.

"We always believe in each other, so we thought that we were starting to get things going and ready to make a comeback," said the future Miami University Redhawk. "We had a couple of bad bounces, and obviously weren't able to recover, but the mentality is to remain positive and look forward."

Coach Noreen alluded to the immaturity factor involving his players during these types of situations.

"I think it's a sign of what we talked about, and that's not letting the scoreboard dictate our emotions. Coming out in the second period, we could've very easily folded up against a good team. We did a good job in the second, and in the third, we gave ourselves a chance right to the end. There was an unlucky bounce at the end, but we gave ourselves a chance. It's just a matter of growing up, and hopefully growing up quick."

For Sherwood, the five-on-three goal to bring his team within one was his second goal of the game. It was the first time Sherwood had scored twice in a USHL contest, something he described as bittersweet given the outcome.

"It [stinks], because we all can't stand losing. But I've been trying to shoot the puck more, and work harder lately. Luckily, two of them went in today."

The Phantoms now look ahead to Friday, as they will host Team USA at the Covelli Center.

"We need to have a solid first period and not let off the gas pedal," said Sherwood. "If we keep playing our system and our style of play, we'll be successful."

Phantoms by the Numbers

Shots - 20

Saves - 39

Power Play - 1/7

Penalty Kill - 6/7

Goals - Letunov (14), Sherwood 2 (8), Spezia (6)

Assists - Melnick (10), Reed (6), Letunov (15), Connor (26)

Next on the Slate

The Phantoms will play Team USA on Friday night, and it will be Second Harvest Food Bank Night at the Covelli Centre. Fans who bring three non-perishable food items can receive a Purple Level ticket for just $3. Following the contest, Youngstown will hit the road to face the Chicago Steel on Saturday night.

Single game tickets are on sale now for all Phantoms' home games at the Covelli Centre. Phantoms 10-Game Flex Plans are also available starting at the low price of just $89. Call 330.747.PUCK (7825) for more information or to reserve seats today. For all the latest news, visit www.YoungstownPhantoms.com, follow the Phantoms on Twitter (@YtownPhantoms) and 'like' them on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/YoungstownPhantoms).

Check out the Youngstown Phantoms Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from January 22, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Youngstown Phantoms Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central