Phantoms Outlast Storm, Pick up 3-1 Thursday Night Win in Rochester
USHL Tri-City Storm

Phantoms Outlast Storm, Pick up 3-1 Thursday Night Win in Rochester

Published on December 4, 2025 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release


ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Jack Hextall and Cooper Simpson three-point performances lifted the Youngstown Phantoms to a 3-1 win over the Tri-City Storm on Thursday night at the Tim Hortons IcePlex.

Youngstown (16-6-2, 34 pts) is unbeaten in six consecutive games. Tri-City (8-14-4, 20 pts) has yet to win against an Eastern Conference team in five matchups this season.

Youngstown struck first while on the power play. At the 8:03 mark of the opening period, Simpson one-timed a Ryan Rucinski feed at the bottom of the right circle past Tri-City netminder Michal Pradel for his 12th goal of the season. The marker extended Simpson's point streak to an active league-high ten games.

The Phantoms generated a second power play tally 14:20 into the first frame. A Pradel chest save on a Simpson shot from the slot generated a hefty rebound to the right faceoff dot. Hextall quickly gathered the puck from there, blasting a shot into the Storm cage for his eighth goal of the campaign.

Youngstown jumped ahead 3-0 late in the second. In the midst of a Phantom 2-on-1 rush, Malachi McKinnon blasted a Simpson feed thru Pradel's left side for his eighth tally of the year. Simpson received a pass over the Storm blue line from Jack Hextall, setting up the attempt.

Tri-City got on the board less than a minute later. As the Storm killed a Braydon Sisco minor for slashing, Cade Kozak shipped a breakaway pass to Mason Jenson toward the Phantom blue line. The Rogers, Minnesota native raced toward Youngstown goaltender Tobias Trejbal, then made a forehand-backhand move to send the puck five-hole into the net. It was Tri-City's third shorthanded goal of the year.

Neither team scored in the third period.

Down two goals with just under three minutes left, the Storm pulled Pradel for an extra attacker, but could not climb back to tie the game.

Trejbal stopped 20 of 21 shots, picking up his eleventh win of the season. Pradel halted 30 of 33 Youngstown attempts.

Hextall (1-1-2) and Simpson (1-1-2) were the only players to finish with multiple points.

Up next: Tri-City closes the USHL American Cup event powered by Wegmans Friday against Youngstown. Puckdrop at the Tim Hortons IcePlex is set for 5:00 pm CT. The contest will be broadcast on FloHockey and Storm Radio.

Check out the Tri-City Storm Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from December 4, 2025


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