Phantoms look to build another streak
January 12, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
BOARDMAN, Ohio - With the Mahoning Valley Phantoms beating the Alpena, Mich., Ice Diggers in their first six meetings this season, this weekends' games on Alpena's home ice promise to be a challenge.
Last weekend, the Phantoms swept Alpena at the Ice Zone on Jan. 5-6 by scores of 4-0 and 4-2.
In his six wins against the Ice Diggers, Phantoms goaltender Ryan Zapolski has a 1.81 goals against average, a .950 save percentage and one shutout to his credit versus Alpena. Dustin Cloutier leads all scorers with nine points on three goals and six assists.
The Phantoms held Alpena's top scoring line of Todd Rudasill, Drew Pierson and Nolan Craner to a combined one goal and one assist in the six games. Against the rest of the league, the trio averages over five points a game among them.
In controlling Alpena's top scoring threats, the Phantoms have also contained the Ice Diggers top-ranked power play. Alpena, 24-10-2, which scores at a rate of 22.6 percent with the one-man advantage, is just 4 for 36 against the Phantoms for 11.1 percent.
Phantoms Head Coach Bob Mainhardt said, "We've worked hard at getting the match-ups we want on the ice. If you look at the games thus far, our blue-collar players like Brent Dexter are getting the job done."
Dexter has scored a pair of game-winning goals against Alpena and is second on the team next to Cloutier in scoring with seven points against the Ice Diggers.
Injuries will force the Phantoms to field a roster of 18 players this weekend, two fewer than the maximum allowed.
Mainhardt says that playing with a shorter bench has its pros and cons on the ice.
"Because our forward and defensive combinations will vary, our opponents will not know which line they will play against," he said. "At the same time, it will be tougher for us as the road team."
By rule, after a stoppage in play, the road team has five seconds to substitute any players before the home team is given five seconds to do the same, giving the home team a tactical advantage in matching lines.
In addition, the visiting team?s face-off man must place his stick on the ice first before the home team's face-off man. Only then does the referee drop the puck to resume play.
The Phantoms coach said he considered acquiring additional players, but is comfortable with his decision in staying with what he has.
"Fortunately, our injuries aren't due to conditioning or fatigue and aren't season-ending. We just have to ride them out," Mainhardt said. "We felt it would be a tougher challenge for us to bring someone new on board who wasn't in tune with our game plan."
That game plan, he said, does change having two fewer players on the bench.
"On the ice, it becomes a science and you work hard to come up with a formula," he said. "But for the players, they know it means a little more ice time for them."
As a result, the Phantoms coach said, his players will get more shifts, but those shifts will be considerably shorter.
"The shifts will be about 15-20 seconds less than they are when we have a full complement of players," Mainhardt said. "This will allow us to move players on and off the ice more quickly, while staying sharp in making decisions."
Four Phantoms cannot play this weekend.
Defenseman Trent Bonnett is likely out for two weeks after breaking his jaw against the U.S. National Team on Dec. 20. Defenseman Doug Leaverton, who broke his hand in a first-period fight last Friday against the Ice Diggers, is expected to miss another 5-7 weeks.
Left wing Mike Fillinger suffered a slight muscle tear in his left shoulder against Team Sweden on Jan. 3. Like Bonnett, Fillinger could return in two weeks. Defenseman Bill Stemzynski continues to heal after breaking his left collarbone against Marquette in November. Stemzynski could be cleared to practice sometime in February.
Saturday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and Sunday's matinee will start at 3 p.m. Following their trip to Alpena, the Phantoms will stop in Ann Arbor to play the U.S. National Team on Monday, Jan. 15. Face-off is at 3 p.m. All three games will be webcast on www.mvpphantoms.com.
The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company- Phantom Fireworks, which is headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio.
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North American Hockey League Stories from January 12, 2007
- IceDiggers to tussle with Phantoms - Alpena IceDiggers
- U.S. National Under-18 Falls to Traverse City in Overtime, 4-3 - U.S. National Team
- Stars dump USA-18s in OT - Traverse City North Stars
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Tops Marquette in Overtime, 2-1 - U.S. National Team
- Bobcats hit road Friday, home Saturday - Bismarck Bobcats
- Phantoms look to build another streak - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Tornado game day update - Texas Tornado
- Rangers taking direction - Marquette Rangers
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