USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Phantoms Make It Four Straight With Win Over Sioux City

Published on November 26, 2011 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown left wing JT Stenglein stayed red-hot, netting a pair of goals as the Phantoms outlasted an upstart Sioux City Musketeers team by a score of 5-4 Saturday night in the Covelli Centre. Stenglein's pair stretched his goal-scoring streak to six straight games and the team's winning streak to four - all coming on home ice.

Ryan Belonger also netted a pair -- including an empty-net goal that held up to be the game-winner - and Richard Zehnal found the back of the net as well, while defenseman Jordan Young notched two assists.

Belonger's empty-netter, scored with 51 second remaining in regulation, put the Phantoms (12-5-0) up 5-3. But Sioux City defenseman Geoff Ferguson scored from a point shot 16 seconds later to thrust the Musketeers (6-11-0) right back in the game. Phantoms goaltender Matthew O'Connor battled back wave after wave of Musketeers attackers in the final 35 seconds to record his league-leading 10th win of the season.

"That went right along with the theme of the game," Head Coach Anthony Noreen said. "From the first few minutes of the game - the way the it was going - you knew it was going to come down to the last second, and thankfully it went our way."

Belonger put the Phantoms on the board at the 10:14 mark in the first period when defenseman Kevin Liss found him on the backdoor. Musketeers netminder Matt Skoff made the initial save, but with the defense collapsing on him, Belonger followed up on the rebound and put it past the Penn State commit for his seventh goal of the season.

"I tried to get the shot off, but the goalie saved it," Belonger said. "So I just kind of dove at the puck and it trickled through his five-hole."

Just over three minutes later, however, Musketeers center Kyle Crisculo redirected a point shot from Cliff Watson to knot the game at one, where the score would remain after 20 minutes.

Stenglein tallied his first of the night at the 13:11 mark in the second when Young fed him at the top of the right circle. The Greece, N.Y. native sent a lethal wrist shot high on Skoff to retake the lead for Youngstown.

Four and a half minutes later, Zehnal got the puck around the same area and let loose a wrister that traveled through traffic to put the Phantoms up two. Zehnal, who spent the past two seasons with Sioux City, said there was extra motivation going against his former teammates.

"There definitely was. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed, but I'm most happy we won," he said.

"Me and Richard were talking before the game about how he was hoping to pick up some points," Stenglein said. "It's always revenge when you're playing against a former team, so it was good for him to get that goal."

But with just 15 second left in the second period, Joe Robbins cut into the lead with his ninth goal of the season to make it a one-goal game heading into the third period.

David Henry tied it again for Sioux City at the 3:23 mark in the third when a rebound kicked out wide to the left and a sprawling O'Connor could not get up to make the save in time.

But just under 10 minutes later, Stenglein struck again. Phantoms defenseman Eric Sweetman forced a turnover with a solid forecheck and the puck floated to the high slot, where Stenglein stepped into vicious slap shot for his ninth of the campaign.

"When you get one, you get hungry and a little confidence going," Stenglein said. "You start making more plays."

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United States Hockey League Stories from November 26, 2011


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