Phantoms Head to Detroit to Open North Division Play
October 2, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
WYANDOTTE, MI (Thursday, October 2nd, 2008) - The Mahoning Valley Phantoms open divisional play on Friday evening in Detroit as they take on the newest member of the North Division, the Motor City Machine.
The Phantoms and the Machine split a preseason home-and-home series, with the Phantoms winning 4-2 in Detroit and the Machine gaining a 5-3 win at the Ice Zone in Boardman.
Special teams will be on display as so far through two weeks of NAHL play, teams around the league are averaging seven power play opportunities per game. That fact bodes well for the Phantoms, whose 92.9% penalty killing average leads the entire league while their power play is third in the league with a 20.7% scoring percentage; Motor City ranks 16th and 17th in penalty killing and power plays, respectively. The Phantoms enter the weekend having killed off 22 straight opposition power plays.
Goaltending will also be a focus as Phantoms goalie Jordan Tibbett leads the league with a 1.00 goals against average while Motor City's Zach Hansen is 10th in the league with a solid 2.30 GAA. Tibbett's 96.5% save percentage also leads all NAHL goalies.
Currently the Phantoms (3-0-1, 7 pts) are one point ahead of the Machine (3-3-0, 6 pts) for third place in the North Division. The Phantoms were idle last weekend while divisional foes played games, causing the Phantoms to lose their hold on first place. Team USA leads the North with 9 points (4-3-1) while Traverse City is in second place with 8 points (4-2-0).
Erik Higby leads the Phantoms in scoring with three goals and two assists while Kevin Bechard leads Motor City with three goals and an assist.
Friday night's game is part of a two-game set that concludes Saturday. The puck drops for both games at 7:10 P.M. from B.F. Yack Arena; you can watch both games live on B2 Networks by clicking the B2 logo on MVPPhantoms.com and selecting the visitors' feed.
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North American Hockey League Stories from October 2, 2008
- Phantoms Head to Detroit to Open North Division Play - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
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