Phantoms fall to Barons in Game Five
April 9, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
Parma, Ohio (Sunday, April 9, 2006) - Carter Camper had enough drama for one night.
After the Mahoning Valley Phantoms rallied from a 3-0 deficit, the Cleveland Barons captain took charge in the third period. Camper scored twice within a span of two minutes and five seconds to give the Barons a 5-2 win over the Phantoms in Game Five of their NAHL North Division Semifinal. The Barons win the best-of-five series 3-2.
The Phantoms will take time off before they prepare to host the Robertson Cup, which runs from May 10-13 at The Ice Zone. Meanwhile, the Barons will meet the U.S. National Team in the North Division Final. Team USA defeated Traverse City 1-0 to win Game Five and the other division semifinal.
Despite the rigors of playing a third game in less than 48 hours, both teams displayed an energetic pace in the first period, with a heaping touch of physical play. But the Phantoms supply of adrenaline would soon run out.
The Barons got on the board off a fortuitous deflection. Sean Perkins lofted the puck from the left point, which nicked a Phantom in the circle. Once redirected, the puck's speed slowed and then knuckled down; enough to graze over the left shoulder of goaltender Ryan Zapolski. Perkins, who had no goals in 16 games with Cleveland this season, gave them a 1-0 lead at the 11:56 mark.
The smaller, speedier Barons dominated the first half of the second period; adding to their lead by hustling after the puck while the Phantoms struggled to keep pace and the puck out of their zone.
Derek Roehl skated fresh off the bench and charged into the slot to take Nick Kosinski's centering pass in front of the net. Zapolski made the first stop between his legs, but Roehl quickly pried the rebound and poked it in at 5:29 of the period to make it 2-0.
58 seconds later, the Barons pounced again. Both teams were changing lines as the puck was brought into the Phantoms zone by Jeremy Tejchma, who extended his shift and carried the puck into the right circle. The Barons attack zone was on the same side as their bench in the middle period, allowing them to make easier changes when charging in. Tejchma was forced wide by a Phantoms defenseman, but still managed a backhand on net that Zapolski redirected to the other side.
With the puck loose in the left circle, the Barons were nearest to the puck from the line change. Eric Rex arrived to the puck first, pulled it onto his stick, and fired a wrist shot from the left circle past Zapolski before he could recover. The Barons assumed control at 3-0. At that point, Cleveland outshot the Phantoms 9-0 in the period. Zapolski was pulled in favor of Bryce Merriam.
A little over nine minutes into the period, the Phantoms recorded their first shot on goal. Seconds later, they got on the scoreboard. On the power play, John Kivisto's shot from the left circle was stopped by Kenny Reiter. The puck bounced off a couple skates before it was deflected to Mike Maltese at the top of the crease. With Reiter down on the ice, Maltese easily flipped the rebound over the netminder to make it 3-1 at 9:17. But the Phantoms could not ride the momentum of their first goal for the rest of the period, as the Barons outshot the Phantoms 17-3. Zapolski would return between the pipes to start the third period.
At 3:18 of the final period, the Phantoms matched their shot total from the previous twenty minutes. Anthony Ciraulo unloaded a long slapshot from the right point that handcuffed Reiter; trickling under his right arm and into the net to pull the Phantoms within a goal at 3-2.
Despite their newfound life, the Phantoms, once again, could not rally. They would go over 13 minutes before they would record another shot on goal. By then, the game was out of reach.
Five minutes after Ciarulo's goal, Cleveland extended their lead to two goals. Tomas Petruska fought off two Phantoms behind the goal and attempted a wraparound from behind the right post. Zapolski blocked the shot, but the rebound slid into the right circle as Camper approached the puck uncontested. He wound and fired the biscuit past the stick side of Zapolski and it was 4-2 at 8:15.
The Barons put it away when the Phantoms failed to dig the puck free from behind their net once again. Tejchma jumped behind a four-man scrum and pulled the puck away. He found Camper point blank in the slot, who launched a high wrist shot over Zapolski's glove for his fifth goal of the series. Petruska and Camper are currently 1-2 in playoff scoring with 12 and 11 points respectively.
Reiter was required to make only 16 saves to get his first win of the postseason. Zapolski made 23 saves on 28 Cleveland shots, while Merriam stopped all 10 shots he faced in the second period.
North American Hockey League Stories from April 9, 2006
- Ruff Heroics Propel Express Into Round Two - Owatonna Express
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Beats Traverse City 1-0, Advances To Division Finals - U.S. National Team
- Phantoms fall to Barons in Game Five - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Stars fall, 1-0 - Traverse City North Stars
- U.S. National Under-18 Team Wins Final World Championship Tune-up Game - U.S. National Team
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