Phantoms rally falls short to Alpena
Published on January 14, 2007 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
ALPENA, Mich. - Shawn Hunwick made 44 saves, including a glove stop with 1.4 seconds remaining in the third period, to give the Alpena Ice Diggers a 5-4 win over the Mahoning Valley Phantoms at Northern Lights Arena.
The Phantoms rallied from a 4-0 second period deficit. With third period goals from Derek Graham, his second of the game, at 2:18 and Brent Dexter at 12:39, the Phantoms pulled within one.
Skating four aside in the final 40 seconds, the Phantoms, 28-10-1, pulled goaltender Garrett Bartus for an extra attacker. In the final seconds, Miles Winter gathered the puck into the left circle and fired a high wrist shot that Hunwick stopped to prevent overtime.
Drew Pierson tallied twice in the first period to give the Ice Diggers, 26-10-2, a 2-0 lead. On an Alpena power play, Nolan Craner's shot from the right circle was deflected by Bartus.
Pierson gathered the rebound from the right goal line and roofed the puck over Bartus' right shoulder at 9:35. Bartus was making his Phantoms' debut in goal.
Pierson?s second came at the 15:49 mark. Skating from right to left into the zone, Pierson used defensemen Chris Fairbanks as a screen to toss a shot over Bartus' left shoulder for his 20th goal of the season.
The Phantoms had only 18 players in their lineup, two fewer than the maximum allowed, as injuries forced the Phantoms to utilize a shorter bench. Defensemen Adam Snead and Eric Ringel both suffered concussions in Saturday night's 5-4 loss to the Ice Diggers.
Both are expected to return to the lineup when the Phantoms host the Traverse City North Stars on Friday, Jan. 19.
Alpena extended its lead in the second period. Ben Kitzmiller's slap shot from the right point rattled off the upper left corner of the goal for a 3-0 advantage at 2:50 of the period.
Erik Peterson made it 4-0 after his initial shot was blocked in front, scooping the puck and roofing it high past an outstretched Bartus.
The Phantoms got on the board as both teams were changing lines. Janis Purins' shot from the left circle was blocked by Hunwick. With the loose puck bouncing between the circles, Johnny Meo out-skated an Ice Digger and fired a rebound past Hunwick for his second goal of the season at the 11:11 mark.
The deficit was cut to 4-2 when Graham scored on a Phantoms power play. Chad Boeckman's shot from the right point was blocked by traffic in front of the net.
Brent Dexter found the puck and fed Graham, who was alone on the left side of the goal. Graham lifted the puck over Hunwick's blocker at the 14:01 mark.
But the Ice Diggers bounced back, creating traffic in front of Bartus to regain a three-goal advantage. Eric Roman's shot from the left point was redirected by Justin Stadler past Bartus' left skate. With 5:21 remaining in the period, Alpena led 5-2.
The Phantoms out-shot Alpena 48-38. Mahoning Valley finished 2 for 9 on the power play, while Alpena was 1 for 4.
The Phantoms conclude their three-game road trip when they travel to Ann Arbor to face the U.S. National Team. Face-off on Monday is at 3 p.m. and the game will be webcast on www.mvpphantoms.com.
The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company- Phantom Fireworks, which is headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio.
North American Hockey League Stories from January 14, 2007
- Phantoms rally falls short to Alpena - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
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