Phantoms Top League-Leading Saints

January 15, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release

YOUNGSTOWN, OH- The Youngstown Phantoms put together one of its best performances of the season, defeating the league-leading Dubuque Fighting Saints Friday night by a final score of 4-1.

After spending the first half of the season on injured reserve, Phantoms defenseman Ryan Shea finally made his season debut, seeing time on the power play and penalty kill.

"Coach told me to keep it simple, and that's what I tried to do. I thought I worked well with Myllari, and I think our defensive core played excellent. All together it was a great first game back," Shea said.

Youngstown struck first, when Captain Matt Alvaro poked a rebound past Dubuque goaltender Hunter Miska. Alvaro's tally came in the final minutes of the first period, and gave the Phantoms a 1-0 lead going into the first intermission.

Dubuque would even the score early in the second period on the power play, when Fighting Saints Captain Keegan Ford threw a wrist shot on net that beat Colin DeAugustine through traffic. The two teams would head to the second intermission tied at one a piece.

The third period was all Youngstown, as the Phantoms scored three unanswered goals to earn the win. James Winkler would score the game-winner, beating Miska with a twisted wrist shot. A few minutes later, Chase Pearson scored his seventh goal of the season on the power play to extend Youngstown's lead to two. Noah Lalonde would add an empty net goal in the final seconds, giving the Phantoms a 4-1 victory.

It was also the first game in a Phantoms sweater for Jason Cotton. The Texas native played second line center for Youngstown, and found his stride early on.

"I thought we played well as a team overall, we were hard on puck the entire game and kept it simple. We got the outcome we wanted," said Cotton.

The Phantoms will host the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the Covelli Centre again Saturday night. It's Youngstown's annual Youth Jersey Night, presented by Armstrong. The first 1,000 kids in attendance will receive a Phantoms replica jersey. Puck drop is set for 7:05p.m.

United States Hockey League Stories from January 15, 2016

• Bloomington wins over Buccaneers - Des Moines Buccaneers
• Gamblers Fall to RoughRiders 3-2 - Green Bay Gamblers
• Laczynski Lifts Steel To Overtime Victory - Chicago Steel
• Six Seconds to Spare - Waterloo Black Hawks
• Crowd and Storm Rumbles the Stars, 4-2 - Tri-City Storm
• Thunder Sink Buccaneers 4-1 - Bloomington Thunder
• McLellan & McCormick's Tallies Not Enough in OT Loss - Madison Capitols
• Musketeers Pull out 3-2 Overtime Win in Omaha - Sioux City Musketeers
• Stampede Rally to Top Fargo, 3-2 at PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls Stampede
• Krusko, Lemieux Score in 3-2 Overtime Loss to Sioux City - Omaha Lancers
• Phantoms Surge, Upend Fighting Saints - Dubuque Fighting Saints
• Tri-City Edges Lincoln, 4-2 - Lincoln Stars
• Phantoms Top League-Leading Saints - Youngstown Phantoms
• Team USA Knocks off the Muskegon Lumberjacks 6-4 - Muskegon Lumberjacks
• Watch Party for Tonight's Game in Omaha - Sioux City Musketeers
• Caps Host Steel in Egle's Return - Madison Capitols
• Stars to Close Season Series with Storm - Lincoln Stars
• Buccaneers' Gobetz Commits to Penn State - Des Moines Buccaneers

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Youngstown Phantoms Stories

• Coleson Hanrahan Wins 2025 Curt Hammer Award
• Phantoms Sign Logan Anderson to Tender Agreement
• Special Teams Play Dooms Phantoms in 6-2 Game 2 Loss
• Phantoms Can't Overcome Early Deficit in 5-3 Game 1 Loss
• Phantoms Clinch First Place with Dominant 6-1 Win Over Team USA