Phantoms Led by Balanced Scoring Attack
Published on November 5, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
BOARDMAN, OH (Wednesday, November 5th, 2008) - The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are currently off to their best start in franchise history at 8-3-2, and a big part of the fast start for the defending Robertson Cup runners up is a balanced offensive attack.
After 13 games, Mahoning Valley has a three-way tie for the team lead in goals between Jordy Trottier, Brandon Saad and Doug Clifford, all with six goals so far this season. Erik Higby and Stefan Salituro are tied for fourth on the team with four goals, as well.
Phantoms Head Coach and General Manager Bob Mainhardt says that having so many players filling the scoresheet makes his life as a coach both easy and tough at the same time.
"It can be a luxury, but it can also be difficult," says Mainhardt. "It's great to have multiple guys going well at the same time, that's how you win. At the same time you have to make sure you're getting all those guys the ice time that they need; that's the biggest challenge."
When the balance is struck, however, Mainhardt says it provides a valuable key to long-term success.
"Being balanced gives us depth," says the sixth-year bench boss, "and that depth allows to compete in longer games and over the three-game weekends, which is a step in the right direction at this point in the season."
Saad is also tied for the team lead in points with ten (6-4-10) with defenseman Cullen Lundholm (1-9-10).
Motor City Overhauls Their Roster
Mahoning Valley's next opponent, the Motor City Machine, is mired in a 12-game losing streak, including an 0-8-0 record in divisional play. In response to their current slump, Motor City has made radical changes to their roster since the last time the Phantoms were in Detroit.
In a trade announced earlier this week, the Machine shipped captain Andy Inderieden along with assistant captain and former NAHL All-Star Reed Rushing to the Marquette Rangers in exchange for forward Josh Bussell. Bussell was Marquette's second-leading scorer at the time of the trade, with a 5-8-13 mark through 15 games with the Rangers.
The Machine also made two free agent signings, first inking former Ontario Hockey League tough guy Anthony Iaquinto to help bolster the physical play that has become the trademark of the Motor City side. The Machine followed the Iaquinto signing by bringing on former St. Louis Bandits first round pick Billy Balent.
Mainhardt says that the new acquisitions could provide a spark for the struggling Machine.
"At this stage in the season, they are going to be a much better team [than in October] either way," says Mainhardt, "just by being more settled into their approach to games. But this could give them some motivation because sometimes when things aren't going well you have to make some changes to try and shake things up."
The Phantoms swept the Machine in Detroit in early October, winning 2-1 and 5-3 in a two-game set. Their upcoming series will feature two 7:10 PM starts on both Friday and Saturday nights. The games will be broadcast live on MVPPhantoms.com via the B2 Networks, with the pregame show starting at 7:00 PM.
Two Phantoms Honored
A pair of Mahoning Valley veterans were honored for their high levels of play this past weekend against the Traverse City North Stars.
Second year defenseman John Houston was named honorable mention for the Sherwood NAHL North Division player of the week, finishing with an assist and a plus-four rating in a weekend where the two teams combined to score 18 goals. Houston also shined on the penalty kill, helping the Phantoms to negate 12 of Traverse City's 13 power plays in the three-game series.
Second-year goaltender Jordan Tibbett was named honorable mention for the GDI NAHL Goalie of the Week for the third time on the young season after making 56 saves on 59 shots over the course of his two starts against the first-place North Stars. Tibbett, who has also won the Goalie of the Week award once this season, finished 1-1-0 on the weekend with a 1.50 goals against average.
The Phantoms have already had three skaters given honorable mention for Player of the Week, with Doug Clifford taking home top honors on October 20th following a three-goal weekend in Alpena. Tibbett and fellow netminder Garrett Bartus have combined for four honorable mentions this season plus Tibbett's Goalie of the Week award on September 22nd.
Season tickets and individual game tickets are now on sale at the Phantom Box Office at the Ice Zone in Boardman. Call (330) 965-7500 for more information. The Phantoms will be holding a Meet the Team event at the Chevrolet Centre from 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM on Monday, November 10th.
North American Hockey League Stories from November 5, 2008
- U.S. Nat'l U18 Team Defeats Finland, 5-4, in SO - U.S. National Team
- U.S. Nat'l U17 Team Tops Switzerland, 5-0 - U.S. National Team
- Phantoms Led by Balanced Scoring Attack - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Rangers Return Home - Marquette Rangers
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.
