Phantoms top Team USA
January 23, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
BOARDMAN, Ohio - Dustin Cloutier scored two goals and Ryan Zapolski made 21 saves to give the Mahoning Valley Phantoms a 4-2 win over the U.S. National Team at the Ice Zone.
With the win, the Phantoms, 32-10-1 for 65 points, improved to 17-0-0 at home this season. They extend their first-place lead over the Alpena Ice Diggers to 11 points in the North American Hockey League's North Division.
For the first time in eight games, the Phantoms were involved in a scoreless first period. But it didn't take long thereafter to get on the scoreboard.
Shorthanded to start the second period, Chad Boeckman forced the puck behind the U.S. net. Double-teamed, Boeckman muscled the puck in front of the net and into the slot, out of sight from goaltender Michael Clemente, who looked for the puck behind the goal.
Brent Dexter skated in between the circles and fired a slap shot, uncontested into an open net, with Clemente still looking over his right shoulder. Dexter's 15th goal came just 27 seconds into the period, and the Phantoms led 1-0 on their NAHL-leading 14th shorthanded goal of the season.
Cloutier scored his first goal of the game at the 6:28 mark. He forced the puck ahead with one arm, creating a two-on-one with Nathan Longpre. Again, off a deflected pass, Cloutier one-armed the puck to Longpre, who snapped a quick shot that Clemente blocked but could not secure.
Cloutier quickly gathered the rebound and tipped the puck over Clemente's right shoulder for a 2-0 lead. Later, Cloutier and Longpre connected again.
Peeling out along the left wing boards, Longpre avoided a double-team and saw Cloutier charging the net. Longpre magically tossed the puck between two U.S. players and into the slot. The puck bounced on its side and between the legs of a third U.S. player, finding Cloutier's stick in stride.
Cloutier quickly roofed the puck, again over Clemente's right shoulder, for his 27th goal of the season to tie him for second place in NAHL goal-scoring. With 4:30 left in the second period, the Phantoms grabbed a 3-0 advantage. Longpre and Miles Winter each received assists on Cloutier's goals.
The Phantoms, 24-1-0 when leading after two periods, nearly lost its advantage when Team USA, 14-21-3, bounced back with two power play goals in the third period.
Defenseman Sam Lofquist's skated from behind the net and into the left circle before floating a backhand that deflected off defenseman Mark Bores' stick and past the stick of Zapolski. Lofquist's fifth goal of the season occurred at 5:22.
Less than a minute later, Dexter was given a five-minute major penalty for slashing Danny Kristo. The U.S. took advantage when Justin Florek redirected Joe Lavin's slap shot between Zapolski's legs with 11:17 remaining in regulation to pull within 3-2.
The Phantoms defense tightened, picking up an insurance goal to secure the win.
Johnny Meo fed a pass to Janis Purins, who was alone at the U.S. blue line and skated in on a breakaway. Purins slid the puck under Clemente for his ninth goal of the season with 3:58 to go.
The Phantoms out-shot Team USA 36-23. The Red, White and Blue were 2 for 8 on the power play, while the Phantoms finished 0 for 5.
Mahoning Valley is off until the following weekend when they travel to Traverse City and face the North Stars on Feb. 2-3 at Centre I.C.E. Arena. Face-off both nights is at 7 p.m. and 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 23, 2007
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Falls To Top-Ranked Phantoms - U.S. National Team
- Phantoms top Team USA - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Alpena to play four in five days - Alpena IceDiggers
- On the road again: Tornado to visit Santa Fe for three this weekend - Texas Tornado
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Plays Four NAHL Games in Six Days on the Road - U.S. National Team
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