Phantoms Head to Alpena for Playoff Rematch
Published on October 16, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
ALPENA, MI (Thursday, October 16th, 2008) - The Mahoning Valley Phantoms will hit the road once again this weekend for two North Division tilts with the Alpena IceDiggers.
This will be the first time the two divisional rivals will meet since the Phantoms swept the IceDiggers out of the first round of the 2008 Robertson Cup playoffs, three games to none. Since the sweep, Alpena brought in former Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (USHL) and Cleveland Junior Barons (NAHL) head coach Jack Fritsche to steer the ship this season.
Fritsche has the IceDiggers off to a 3-4-1 start so far, but Phantoms assistant coach Curtis Carr knows that having Fritsche behind the bench makes Alpena a dangerous squad.
"Jack Fritsche knows how to win," says Carr. "He won a lot in this league with Cleveland and he brings a winning attitude to Alpena. He always has his team ready to play a tough physical game and that's what we expect out of them this weekend."
The Phantoms will be resuming the regular season Friday night after getting last weekend off. The off weekend was the second for the Phantoms since the Sherwood NAHL Showcase four weeks ago. Carr says the team has been working hard to maintain its focus through the downtime.
"We've practiced a lot of game situations over the last week and a half," says the third-year Phantoms assistant coach. "We've had the guys competing hard against each other and we've been shaking up the lines to keep them on their toes. It's a lot easier to stay focused when you're competing so hard every day in practice."
The second-place Phantoms (5-0-1, 11 pts) are currently four points ahead of the fourth-place IceDiggers (3-4-1, 7 pts) in the North Division standings. Traverse City (8-2-0, 16 pts), which has played four more games than the Phantoms, continues to lead the North Division.
The Phantoms hold an all-time record of 34-9-0 against the IceDiggers.
Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday night's games will be 7:00 P.M. from Northern Lights Arena in Alpena, Michigan. You can follow the Phantoms on the road with B2 Networks by selecting the visitors' feed.
Season tickets and individual game tickets for the 2008-2009 home schedule are now on sale; call Ticket Sales Director Terri Fannon at (330) 965-7500 for more information.
North American Hockey League Stories from October 16, 2008
- Phantoms Head to Alpena for Playoff Rematch - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
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.
