Phantoms fall to Alpena
January 13, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
ALPENA, Mich. - Todd Nielsen scored with 9:54 remaining in the third period to give the Alpena Ice Diggers a 5-4 win over the Mahoning Valley Phantoms at Northern Lights Arena.
Erik Peterson's shot from the left circle sailed wide and rolled along the right wing boards. Nielsen skated off the bench and into the zone, firing a one-timer past goaltender Ryan Zapolski for his first goal as an Ice Digger of the season. Alpena overcame a 4-2 deficit in the third period for their first win against the Phantoms in seven games.
Eric Ringel gave the Phantoms a 1-0 lead with his ninth goal of the season, after blocking a clearing attempt inside the blue line in the Alpena zone. His wrist shot from the right point knuckled in flight, beating goaltender Shane Hunwick over his left glove at the 49 second mark of the first period.
The Ice Diggers tied the game and then took the lead with a pair of goals in a span of 36 seconds.
On an Alpena power play, Todd Rudasill?s wrist shot from the left circle beat Zapolski on the glove side for his 20th goal of the season at 3:56.
On the ensuing shift, Jimmy McCusker skated down the right wing and floated a shot from the circle past Zapolski?s stick side for his fourth goal of the season. With 4:32 gone in the first period, Alpena led 2-1.
Derek Graham tied the game in the final minute, after Ringel threaded a pass to Graham from blue line to blue line. Skating in on a breakaway, Graham controlled the puck on the right side, as Hunwick skated out of the crease to cut down the angle.
Graham countered by skating further out on the right wing and throwing the puck behind Hunwick for his 11th goal of the season with 38.1 seconds left.
The Phantoms took the lead on a power play in the second period. Chad Boeckman was double-teamed along the left wing boards, when Graham skated in and gathered the loose puck on the goal line.
Graham charged the net, fired a shot wide, bouncing hard off the backboard to the goal line on the opposite side. Brent Dexter was there to tap home the rebound for his 11th goal of the season at the 11:53 mark for a 3-2 Phantoms edge.
The lead grew to 4-2 after Alden Hirschfeld checked Alpena?s Evan West along the right wing boards in the Ice Diggers zone and forced the puck loose.
Graham skated from behind, collected the puck and approached Hunwick on a two-on-one. Graham fed Chris Fairbanks, who was alone on the left post, for goal number 17 on the season for the Phantoms captain with 6:02 remaining in the period.
Alpena answered with power play goals 46 seconds apart early in the third period. Nolan Craner scored at 3:56 and Erik Peterson tallied at 4:42 to tie the game at 4-4.
The Ice Diggers out-shot the Phantoms 39-37. Alpena was 3 for 9 on the power play, while the Phantoms finished 1 for 8.
Both teams return to face each other Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company- Phantom Fireworks, which is headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio.
North American Hockey League Stories from January 13, 2007
- U.S. University Select Team Tops West Virginia, 1-0, in Exhibition - U.S. National Team
- IceDiggers come back to drop Phantoms 5-4 - Alpena IceDiggers
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Falls to Rangers, 4-1 - U.S. National Team
- Phantoms fall to Alpena - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- USA-18s get revenge on TC - Traverse City North Stars
- U.S. National Under-18 Team Tops North Stars, 7-3 - U.S. National Team
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