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USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Phantoms Scare off Stampede 6-3

October 29, 2023 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, OH - The Youngstown Phantoms (8-3-0-0, 16pts) finished their back-to-back home games against the Sioux Falls Stampede. The Phantoms may have given us a scare in the second period, but the fought their way to a 6-3 win.

"I thought it was a great old-school Youngtown Phantoms hockey game," said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. "Four of our top players are out and the young bucks showed up and did a great job. It was a hostile environment; it was just old-school fun."

"We played great, we put a lot of effort out there and come home with the win," said Phantoms forward Ryan Rucinski, who also got the first goal of his USHL career in the game.

Youngstown got off to a scary start as Charlie Lieberman got a five-minute major for cross-checking just 34 seconds into the game. It was the Phantoms who cashed in first though, as Braiden Clark got a short-handed goal just 30 seconds later with assists from Tory Pitner and Brecken Smith.

Youngstown killed off the major power play, but five seconds after it ended, Matheson Mason scored through the five-hole of Colin Winn (30 saves) to tie the game at 1-1.

The Phantoms would cash in later with a power play goal of their own, though. With Chris Pelosi of Sioux Falls in the penalty box for slashing, Youngstown regained the lead at 11:27 in the second period when Mikey Burchill fired home a wrister from the right circle, his 4th of the season, with the assists to Grant Young and Sascha Boumedienne.

Miles Gunty capped off the scoring in the first period, slamming home a puck from the net mouth with just 1:52 left in the frame. With the assistance from Sam Ranallo and Tory Pitner.

The second period would start out with a bang, with Ryan Rucinski scoring just 3:22 into the middle stanza, getting his first USHL goal with help from Luke Osburn and Ryan Botterill. The assist for Osburn was his first point in the USHL.

Sioux Falls finally answered back at the 16:15 mark, ending Youngstown's run of three unanswered goals when Chris Pelosi of Sioux Falls put a wrister from the top of the left circle past Winn just a few seconds after a power play started making it 4-2. The Stampede got another power play goal early in the third period from Gennadi Chaly, trimming the Phantom lead to 4-3 at the 1:44 mark.

The Phantoms came storming back as Hunter Ramos slapped one past Caleb Heil (22 saves) just over four minutes later, making it a two-goal game again. Sioux Falls pulled Heil with 1:08 left in the game, looking to get closer, but Young would make use of this by getting an empty net goal with 5.5 seconds remaining for his first marker in the USHL, capping off the scoring.

With two wins in the books to start their five-game homestand, Youngtown will take on the Madison Capitols on Sunday afternoon and the Tri-City Storm on November 3-4.

By the Numbers

Shots - 27

Saves - 30

Power Play - 1/2

Penalty Kill - 2/4

Goals - Burchill, Clark, Gunty, Ramos, Rucinski, Young

Assists - Botterill, Boumedienne, Smith, Osburn, Pitner (3), Ranallo (2), Willson, Young

Box Score - https://ushl.com/ht/#/game-summary/10893

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United States Hockey League Stories from October 29, 2023


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