USHL Youngstown Phantoms

PHANTOMS NOTEBOOK: Week No. 27

Published on March 26, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - With their playoff tickets officially punched and a grueling stretch of eight games over 15 days behind them, the Youngstown Phantoms are back home and ready to buckle down for the final regular season stretch. The Phantoms (33-23-0, 66 points) have eight games remaining and their eye on third place in the East, but first they have their hands full with the scrappy Cedar Rapids RoughRiders this Friday and Saturday at the Covelli Centre.

The Week In Review

Game No. 53: Phantoms Suffer Setback Vs. Team USA To Close Out Road Swing

The Phantoms stumbled on the final game of a five-game road trip, dropping an 8-2 contest to the U.S. National Under-18 Team last Tuesday in Ann Arbor, Mich. First-year forward Kyle Connor notched a goal and added an assist and Cam Brown also found the back of the net, but it was not enough against an aggressive offensive and stifling defensive Team USA (19-32-5, 43 points). Goaltender Jake Moore was saddled with his first career USHL loss after facing a 40-shot barrage.

Game No. 54: Phantoms Handle Ice 5-1, Pick Up 7th Straight Home Win

After a five-game road trip, the Phantoms wasted no time getting back to work at home getting goals from Connor, Alexander Dahl and Brown before the game was seven minutes old en route to a 5-1 win over the Indiana Ice last Thursday. Defenseman Dan Renouf added a goal and Nathan Walker closed out the scoring with a power-play tally late in the third while Sam Anas set up a pair. Between the pipes, Sean Romeo made 21 saves to pick up his seventh win vs. the Ice (20-32-5, 45 points) this season.

Game No. 55: Phantoms Rack Up Records With 5-3 Win Over Ice

The Phantoms made history Friday night, but it did not come easy against the Ice. Youngstown carried a 3-1 lead into the third period and made it 4-1 off a power-play goal from Alfred Larsson, but Indiana answered with back-to-back goals to make it a one-goal game in the final minutes. Suddenly down on a 6-on-4 with a player in the box and Ice goaltender Anderson Snair on the bench, the Phantoms were able to seal the win courtesy of a short-handed empty-net goal from Austin Cangelosi. Brown and Connor both scored for the third straight games and blue liner Ryan Lowney added a goal as the Phantoms picked up their 19th home win of the season and 33rd overall win of the campaign - both franchise records - while Romeo notched his 28th victory.

Game No. 56: Phantoms Clinch Playoff Spot Despite Loss To Team USA

The Phantoms clinched their second straight playoff berth Sunday despite a hard-fought 4-2 loss to the Team USA U18s. Anas scored a pair of goals in the second period - one short-handed and one on the power play - to bring the Phantoms even with USA entering the third period. But the National Team got a two goals less than four minutes apart in the third to pick up the 4-2 win. Romeo put on one of his top performances of the season make 41 saves, including two on breakaways, but could not capture the victory.

Loose Pucks

- - The Phantoms' clinched the franchise's second straight Clark Cup Playoff berth courtesy of Indiana's 6-3 win over the fifth-place Chicago Steel Sunday. In the unlikely case that the Phantoms (66 points) and Steel (23-29-4, 50 points) end the season tied in the standings points, the tiebreaker would be determined by head-to-head matchups, and Youngstown has already clinched the season series with a 5-0-0 record vs. Chicago.

-- You like records? The Phantoms set franchise single season records in wins (33) and home wins (19) Friday. In addition, Sean Romeo tied former teammate Matthew O'Connor, whom he backed up last season, for the franchise single season high mark in wins for a goaltender with 28.

-- Captain Austin Cangelosi reached a milestone as well with his short-handed empty-net goal Friday. Already the Phantoms' all-time points leader, the Estero, Fla., native became the USHL's Tier 1 era short-handed goals leader with 11th of his career.

-- With a pair of goals Sunday, Sam Anas became just the second play in Phantoms history to reach the 30-goal plateau during a season. The Quinnipiac commit needs just one goal to tie former teammate JT Stenglein's single season record of 31 goals scored last season.

-- With short-handed goals from Cangelosi and Anas last week, the Phantoms have now scored a combined 12 times down a man this season - more than any team in the USHL. Youngstown also led the USHL in short-handed goals last season (19), but finished ninth overall in penalty killing. This season, however they trail only Omaha for top penalty kill percentage (85.94 percent), even though only Lincoln and Sioux City have spent more time short-handed.

-- Meanwhile, the Phantoms have been heating up on the power play of late, with at least a goal in eight of their last nine games. Over that span they've risen from 15th in the USHL on the man-advantage, with a 14.9 percent conversion rate, to eighth, converting at a clip of 16.41 percent.

The Week Ahead

Games No. 57 & 58: Friday, March 29 & Saturday, March 30 at 7:15 p.m. - Phantoms vs. Cedar Rapids

The RoughRiders (21-29-7, 49 points) make their first, and final, visit to the Mahoning Valley for a pair of games this Friday and Saturday at the Covelli Centre. One of the USHL's perennial powers, Cedar Rapids has struggled this season and is set to miss the Clark Cup Playoffs for the first time in the Tier 1 history of the franchise (2002-present). The RoughRiders, led by a two-goal outburst from first-year forward Bryson Cianfrone, came from behind to pick up an impressive 6-5 win over the Green Bay Gamblers last Saturday. Prior to that win, however, they had dropped five straight and have just four wins over their past 14 games. The last time the "˜Riders met with the Phantoms back on Feb. 2 in Cedar Rapids, they came away with a dominant 5-2 win thanks to a season-high three-point performance from veteran forward Davey Middleton.

They Said It

"When we set out to turn this franchise in the right direction, this is what we had in mind. It speaks volumes about how far our franchise has come over the past two years and how far this group of guys has come this season. I couldn't be more proud."

-- Head coach Anthony Noreen on the Phantoms clinching their second consecutive Clark Cup Playoffs berth - and the second in franchise history.

Phantoms Leaders

Points: Austin Cangelosi (18-40-58)

Goals: Sam Anas (30, sixth in USHL)

Assists: Cangelosi (40, T-fifth in USHL)

Power-Play Goals: Anas (9, fifth in USHL)

Short-Handed Goals: Cangelosi (3, T-third in USHL)

Plus/Minus: Dan Renouf (plus-20)

Penalty Minutes: John Padulo (163, fifth in USHL)

Points by a Defenseman: Ryan Lowney (8-28-36, T-third in USHL)

Wins: Sean Romeo (28, second in USHL)

Goals Against Average: Romeo (2.73)

Save Percentage: Romeo (.910)

Shutouts: Romeo (5, second in USHL)

Phantoms Alumni Watch

-- Former defenseman Andrej Sustr (2009-10) became the first player in the Phantoms' USHL history to sign a NHL contract last Thursday. After a three seasons at University of Nebraska-Omaha, the highly sought after 6-foot-8 blue liner penned a two-year entry level deal with the Tampa Bay Lighting.

-- Chicago Blackhawks rookie Brandon Saad (Mahoning Valley Phantoms, 2008-09) extended his point streak to four straight games with an assist in Monday's 5-4 loss to Los Angeles Kings. The former Phantom is fourth among NHL rookies in scoring (18 points) and second in assists (12).

-- Wisconsin forward Jefferson Dahl (2009-10) played an integral role as the fourth-seeded Badgers captured the WCHA Final Five Tournament championship last week. Dahl notched a pair of short-handed goals as Wisconsin downed Minnesota State 7-2 Thursday to advance to the WCHA semifinals. Then he assisted on a goal in the finals as the Badgers defeated Colorado College 3-2 to capture their first Broadmore Trophy in 15 years and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

-- Mercyhurst goaltender Jordan Tibbett (2009-11) turned away 31 shots to backstop the Lakers to a 4-1 win over Connecticut in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament semifinals. Mercyhurst however, came up short falling to Canisius in the final.

-- Boston College forward Quinn Smith (2010-11) scored a goal Friday, but it was not enough as the Eagles fell 6-3 to rival Boston University in the Hockey East Tournament semifinals.

-- The 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Tournament gets underway this week and nine Phantoms alumni will be in action: Quinnipiac's Soren Jonzzon (2011-12); BC's Smith; Miami of Ohio's Alex Gacek (2010-12) and Ben Paulides (2009-11); Minnesota State's Dylan Margonari (2010-12); Minnesota's Tommy Serratore (2009-10); Denver's Scott Mayfield (2009-11) and Ty Loney (2010-11); and Wisconsin's Dahl.

Events and Promotions

Saturday, March 30: Jimmy Buffet Night

Enjoy some cheeseburgers in paradise along with some hard-hitting hockey action Saturday when the Phantoms face off against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Jimmy Buffet Night, sponsored by Y-103, Youngstown's Classic Rock Station! Escape from the cold and with beach-themed games on the concourse, Jimmy Buffet tunes around the arena and FREE Phantoms-colored leis for the first 1,000 fans. For more information, call the Phantoms Office at 330.747.PUCK!

Season tickets for the 2013-14 season are on sale now starting at the low price of just $8 a game. Benefits include invitations to exclusive season ticket holder events, discounts at the Phantoms Team Shop and much more. Renew or purchase 2013-14 season tickets before April 13 and receive free tickets to all the Phantoms' 2013 USHL Clark Cup home playoff games. 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 "˜like' them on Facebook ( www.Facebook.com/YoungstownPhantoms ).

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 26, 2013


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