Phantoms Race Out to Franchise-Best 5-0-1 Start
October 7, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
BOARDMAN, OH (Tuesday, October 7th, 2008) - The Mahoning Valley Phantoms have come out of the gates on fire in the 2008-2009 season, piling up the best start in the team's history at 5-0-1, including their best ever showing at the season-opening NAHL Showcase, where they picked up 7 of 8 possible points in the standings.
The early charge has been thanks to a balanced attack, with the team scoring 4 goals per game while only allowing opponents to score 2.33 goals, ranking 4th in the league in both averages.
Defensively, the Phantoms are at the top of the league in a couple important categories. The penalty killing unit leads the league with a 95.4% efficiency rating; the unit has not surrendered a power play goal since September 18th in the game against North Iowa.
Meanwhile, goaltender Jordan Tibbett leads the league with a 1.00 goals against average and a .964 save percentage. Tibbett enjoys the individual stats but thinks his record, 3-0-0, is his most important stat.
"The goals against average and all the stats are always fun," said the second-year Phantoms goalie, "but you've got to keep the main goal of winning in view at all times. Winning is the most important thing."
The second-year Phantom netminder has already once been picked as the GDI / NAHL Goalie of the Week (after the Showcase) and this week was named as an honorable mention for the award after saving 25 of 26 shots in his lone start at Motor City this past weekend.
Forward Jordy Trottier, who is currently tied for the team lead in goals with four, was named honorable mention for North Division Player of the Week after his two-goal effort on Saturday night against the Machine.
The Phantoms return to regular season action October 17th and 18th with a weekend series in northern Michigan against the Alpena IceDiggers. Season tickets for the 2008-2009 season go on sale at the Ice Zone in Boardman on Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM.
North American Hockey League Stories from October 7, 2008
- Phantoms Race Out to Franchise-Best 5-0-1 Start - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Trottier's Duce Leads Phantoms over Machine, 5-2 - Motor City Metal Jackets
- Phantoms Turn the Power Off on the Machine, 2-1 - Motor City Metal Jackets
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