Phantoms Notebook: Week No. 26
March 12, 2014 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Phantoms traveled west to battle Omaha for the first and only time this season, splitting the two-game series at Ralston Arena, capped off by a dramatic 4-1 victory on Saturday night.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday night's matchup against Omaha proved to be a challenge for Youngstown, as they dropped the contest by a score of 5-2. Ryan Tait opened the scoring for the Lancers on the power play at about the eight-minute mark of the first period. Steven Johnson would add two more goals three minutes apart, extending the Lancers lead to 3-0 at the conclusion of the first period.
Just over a minute into the second period, Phantoms captain Alfred Larsson scored his first of the season to get the team on the board. The tally came on the power play on a net-front deflection, with Kyle Connor and Josh Melnick picking up the assists.
Twenty-two seconds after Larsson's goal, Zach Evancho got the team to within one, but the Lancers would regain their two-goal lead on Ryan Tait's second tally of the evening. The middle frame would end on those terms, with the Lancers outshooting the Phantoms 21-16.
Zach Jordan would seal the deal for the Lancers after scoring an empty netter at the 18:24 mark of the third period.
Saturday night brought new life to the Phantoms, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Josh Melnick and JJ Piccinich would get credit for the goals in the opening frame. An amazing "spin-o-rama" pass from the left wing half boards by Maxim Letunov set up Melnick's goal.
Trailing by two after one, Jimmy Schuldt got the Lancers back into the game with a goal at the 6:16 mark of the second period. However, the Youngstown defense would clamp down from there, not allowing any more goals on the evening.
At about the halfway point of the third period, Piccinich recorded his second of the night after a net mouth scramble to put the Phantoms back up by two. For Piccinich, it was his 27th goal of the season, and 50th point.
With one minute remaining in the third period, Tyler Spezia would cap the game for the Phantoms by scoring an empty net goal to give them a 4-1 lead. That would go on to be the final, as Colin DeAugustine would get credit for the win in net after making 30 saves on 31 shots.
LOOSE PUCKS
- Phantoms' captain Alfred Larsson scored his first goal of the season during Friday night's loss. It was Larsson's second point since returning from injury on January 18.
- JJ Piccinich scored two goals, including the game winner, in Saturday's 4-1 win. The second goal was his 27th of the season, and 50th point. Piccinich became the sixth player in team history (USHL) to reach 50 points in one season, and the second this year, joining Kyle Connor.
- Colin DeAugustine faced 31 shots and made 30 saves in Saturday's 4-1 win. It was his eighth win of the season, which leads the team. DeAugustine has now won three straight decisions in net, allowing just six goals over the span.
- Tyler Spezia's empty netter in Saturday's 4-1 win was his 10th goal of the season. Spezia became the sixth Phantom to his double digits in goals scored this season.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Youngstown continues a four-game road swing by playing two contests in Muskegon this weekend. The games will be the eighth and ninth matchups between the Phantoms and Lumberjacks this season.
THEY SAID IT
"Our job as coaches is to use every day as a teaching moment, and to make sure that we're working to get better. If we were undefeated right now, or if we hadn't won a game right now, I'd be saying the same thing: we have to get better. I thought we got better from yesterday to today, and I thought we got better as the game went on today. Our job, and especially my job, is to make sure we get better going into next weekend."
Ã-- Anthony Noreen following Saturday's win over Omaha
PHANTOMS LEADERS
Points: Kyle Connor (23-39-62, 3rd in USHL)
Goals: JJ Piccinich (27, 3rd in USHL)
Assists: Connor (39, 3rd in USHL)
Power Play Goals: Piccinich (13, leads USHL)
Shorthanded Goals: Tyler Spezia (2, T-5th in USHL)
Plus/Minus: Zach Evancho (+1)
Penalty Minutes: Conor Lemirande (125, 5th in USHL)
Points by a Defenseman: Bo Pellah (22, 6 as a Phantom)
Wins: Colin DeAugustine (8)
Goals Against Average: DeAugustine (3.27)
Save Percentage: DeAugustine (.893)
Shutouts: DeAugustine, Romeo (1 each)
ALUMNI WATCH
In the professional ranks, Bridgeport's Scott Mayfield totaled two assists at St. John's on March 7.
In the NCAA, many Phantoms alumni are participating in conference tournaments at the moment. Here is a conference-by-conference breakdown:
Atlantic Hockey
- Eighth-seeded Holy Cross (Nilan Nagy) beat RIT in three games. They will next face top-seeded Mercyhurst (Jordan Tibbett) in the quarterfinals.
- Sixth-seeded Niagara (Pat Conte) swept American International, and will next play Air Force.
- Second-seeded Bentley (Brett Gensler) hosts Canisius in the quarterfinals.
Big Ten
- Seeds are locked, but one last weekend of regular season play remains. Top-seeded Minnesota (Tom Serratore), second-seeded Wisconsin (Jefferson Dahl), third-seeded Michigan (Andrew Sinelli), and sixth-seeded Penn State (Taylor Holstrom) all feature alumni vying for the first-ever Big Ten hockey title.
- Sinelli notched a hat trick against Michigan State on March 7. It was his first career multi-goal game.
- Holstrom scored against Wisconsin on March 7.
ECAC
- Eighth-seeded St. Lawrence (Alex Dahl, Eric Sweetman) swept Brown and will next play Colgate in the quarterfinals. Dahl notched an assist in both games, including one on a goal by Sweetman in game two. Sweetman also scored the overtime winner in the first contest.
- Fifth-seeded Clarkson defeated twelfth-seeded Princeton (Mike Ambrosia, Tommy Davis, Jon Liau, Kevin Liss) in three games. Ambrosia assisted on the overtime game-winner in Game One, and added an assist in Game Three. Liau had two assists in the first contest, and a goal in the third. He finished the season ranked third on the Tigers in scoring.
- Tenth-seeded Dartmouth upset seventh-seeded RPI (Chris Bradley) in three games. Bradley scored in Game Three, and finished the season as the top team defenseman in total scoring.
- Third-seeded Quinnipiac (Sam Anas, Soren Jonzzon) faces Yale in the quarterfinals.
Hockey East
- In the first round, which is single-elimination, Notre Dame beat Boston University (Matt O'Connor) by a 3-2 final. O'Connor made 26 saves in the contest. He finishes the season 7-9-4 with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Top-seeded Boston College (Austin Cangelosi, Quinn Smith) awaits the Fighting Irish.
- Sixth-seeded Maine (Cam Brown, Stu Higgins, Dan Renouf) beat eleventh-seeded Merrimack, and will next play Providence in the quarterfinals. Renouf recorded an assist in the 2-0 win.
- Fifth-seeded Northeastern (Ryan Belonger, Mike Gunn) will play fourth-seeded New Hampshire.
NCHC
- Seeds are set, and the best-of-three quarterfinals involve alumni as such: eighth-seeded Miami (Alex Gacek, Ben Paulides) will play top-seeded St. Cloud State, and sixth-seeded Denver (Ty Loney) will play third-seeded Nebraska-Omaha.
WCHA
- Seeds are set, and the best-of-three quarterfinals involve alumni as such: top-seeded Ferris State (Ryan Lowney) will host eighth-seeded Bemidji State (Danny Mattson), fourth-ranked Bowling Green (Adam Berkle) will host number five Michigan Tech, and second-seeded Minnesota State (Dylan Margonari) will host seventh-seeded Northern Michigan (Luke Eibler).
- In the final weekend of regular season play, Margonari scored against Michigan Tech on March 7, Berkle registered two assists against Bemidji State on March 8, and Eibler notched an assist against Alabama-Huntsville on March 8.
SUNYAC
- In Division III, SUNY-Geneseo (Stephen Collins) lost the SUNYAC championship game to Oswego, 7-6, but still earned one of four at-large bids to the D-III tournament. They will host Nichols College in the first round today.
Single game tickets are on sale now for all Phantoms' home games at the Covelli Centre. Phantoms 10-Game Flex Plans are also available starting at the low price of just $89. Call 330.747.PUCK (7825) for more information or to reserve seats today. For all the latest news, visit www.YoungstownPhantoms.com, follow the Phantoms on Twitter (@YtownPhantoms) and "Ëlike' them on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/YoungstownPhantoms).
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