Phantoms win final tune-up
September 8, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
Boardman, Ohio (Thursday, September 7, 2006) - Brent Dexter, Chad Boeckman, and Denny Kramarz each scored a goal and added an assist to lead the Mahoning Valley Phantoms to a 4-1 win over the Springfield Jr. Blues at the Ice Zone. The Phantoms finish their preseason 3-0-0 as they now prepare for their season opener next Wednesday at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota.
"I was happy with the effort. We played hard for 60 minutes," said Head Coach Bob Mainhardt. The Phantoms and Springfield will meet three times during the upcoming regular season.
Springfield slowly tilted the ice in their favor in the first period, taking a 6-1 advantage in shots on goal. But the Phantoms would soon catch up and eventually tighten their grip defensively against the visitors. Both teams failed to convert their three power play chances in the opening 20 minutes. Springfield starting goaltender Adam Roy stopped all seven shots he faced in the period before he was replaced by Phil Cook for the remainder of the game.
The Phantoms cracked the scoreboard early in the second period. Matt Quigley skated down the right wing with the puck and a Blues defenseman at his side. Quigley veered behind the net and out to the left wing before feeding Nathan Longpre, who was charging in just left of the slot. Longpre surprised everyone by making a nifty pass in stride and across the slot to Mike Fillinger. On the doorstep, Fillinger tapped in the puck as Cook couldn't cover the opposite side quickly enough, and the Phantoms led 1-0 at 2:57 of the period.
Phantoms goaltender Ryan Zapolski, who stopped all 12 shots he faced, was replaced by Bryce Merriam midway through the period. Merriam would face only one shot for the balance of the second stanza.
Springfield would tie the game on the power play early in the third period. Christian Hmura scored in front of the net, beating Merriam low to make it 1-1 just 57 seconds in. But the Phantoms quickly regained the lead for good.
Boeckman stopped along the right wing boards and dished off to defenseman Eric Ringel in the high slot. Ringel's slap shot was redirected by Dexter and went through the legs of Cook for a 2-1 advantage at 2:06. Boeckman would later score at 8:58 on the power play during a scramble in front and Kramarz would add a power play goal from the point with 1:20 left in the game.
WHERE'S THE WHISTLE?: What may have been the most pleasant surprise occurred at the start of the game. From the opening faceoff, both teams skated at a swift pace until the 3:59 mark for the first stoppage in play.
"It was good to get the first four minutes out of the way," joked Mainhardt.
BUMPS AND BRUISES: A Springfield slap shot from the right point stung rookie defenseman Bill Stemzynski as it deflected off his left foot in the first period. He shook it off and returned without missing a shift. Left wing Matt Atsoff was charged into the boards by a Blues player in the third period. No penalty was called as Atsoff was hunched over on the ice. But he soon recovered after the whistle and sought after his offender, resulting in a fighting penalty.
GETTING THE GATE: In the second period, rookie center Miles Winter was assessed a five-minute major for charging and given a game misconduct for running into and knocking down Blues forward Jon Gaffney at center ice instead of playing the puck. Gaffney's teammate, John Foguth, sought revenge by going after Winter and was given a game ejection for instigating.
With 1:31 remaining in the game, right winger Janis Purins and Springfield defenseman Tim Niedzielak exchanged crosschecking and slashing penalties respectively. After the whistle, Niedzielak challenged Purins to a fight by dropping his gloves, but Purins refused. Niedzielak also received an instigating penalty and a game misconduct.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: For the game, Springfield amassed 60 penalty minutes on 22 penalties while the Phantoms accumulated 46 minutes on 16 infractions. The Phantoms finished 2 for 11 on the power play while Springfield was 1 for 9. The Phantoms outshot the Jr. Blues 28-18.
North American Hockey League Stories from September 8, 2006
- IceDiggers defeat Soo, 12-3 - Alpena IceDiggers
- NAHL Midget Showcase Schedule Announced - NAHL
- Phantoms win final tune-up - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
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