USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Team Effort Pushes Phantoms Past Indiana 5-2

Published on December 18, 2009 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


INDIANAPOLIS - Despite being outshot 42-28 and forced to kill nine power plays against, the Youngstown Phantoms banded together to construct a comprehensive 5-2 victory over the defending Clark Cup champion Indiana Ice at the Pepsi Coliseum Friday night.

Goaltender Jordan Tibbett made 40 saves, including 19 in the first period alone, to pick up his sixth win of the season, while Cody Strang (goal, assist) and Taylor Holstrom (two assists) turned in multi-point nights for visiting Youngstown (12-10-2, 26 points), who moved into fourth place alone in the East Division.

After Indiana captain Nick Bailen reduced the Phantoms' lead to 3-2 in the opening moments of the third, Youngstown killed a 1:46 two-man Ice advantage, followed by Stuart Higgins' whirling unassisted goal on his backhand with 5:23 to go to lock up the win.

Tom Serratore added a flourish to the Phantoms' first win of the campaign in three tries against Indiana with an empty-net goal, his sixth, in the final minute. The road team has now won all three games in the season series between these two clubs.

Youngstown was forced to kill a pair of Indiana two-man advantages in the first period - five power plays in all - and was outshot 18-6 in the frame, but escaped with a 1-0 lead with a quick goal in the wake of a quality penalty killing effort.

Just seconds after Ben Paulides escaped the penalty box and returned the Phantoms to full strength, Brian Dowd led Adam Berkle with a pass down the right wing. Berkle gathered and fired a short-side wrist shot over goalie Casey DeSmith's glove hand for the only red light of the period.

Jefferson Dahl continued his torrid pace by depositing the large rebound of Dan Senkbeil's left-wing shot to make it 2-0 Youngstown 2:31 into the second. DeSmith couldn't find the puck with the Phantoms' Brian Dowd lurking and kicked it right to Dahl for his eighth of the campaign.

Indiana cut the lead in half less than three minutes later when defenseman Nick Mattson finished a tic-tac-toe passing play with the Phantoms down a man for the sixth time in the game. Justin Agosta found Shane Berschbach immediately to the right of Jordan Tibbett, who pushed it across the crease for a breaking Mattson.

Youngstown's Cody Strang restored the visitors' two-goal bulge at 13:58 of the middle frame with a bullet snap shot from the top of the left circle. Ryan Jasinsky attempted to center for Dahl, but Strang followed on when it got by his fellow Wisconsinite in the high slot and blistered it into the twine for his second goal in three games and his second point of the period; he earned the secondary assist on Dahl's marker.

Youngstown concludes its four-game road trip with a showdown with Team USA's Under-18 squad Saturday night in Ann Arbor, Mich. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. Eastern time. Follow the Phantoms on the road via Youngstown's ESPN 1240 (www.wbbw.com) and the B2 Networks at www.b2tv.com.

The Youngstown Phantoms are a Member Club of the United States Hockey League (USHL), America's only Tier I hockey league and premier developer of National Hockey League talent with more than 100 alumni on current NHL rosters.

Visit www.youngstownphantoms.com or call the Front Office at 330.747.PUCK(7825) for more information on the Phantoms organization. The Youngstown Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company (Phantom Fireworks), located in Youngstown, Ohio.

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United States Hockey League Stories from December 18, 2009


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