Three-Goal Third Period Lifts Phantoms to 5-3 Win

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USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Three-Goal Third Period Lifts Phantoms to 5-3 Win

April 5, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, OH - The Youngstown Phantoms (40-18-0-1, 81 points) used a trio of third period goals to overcome a slow start and break at 2-2 tie and claim a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Steel Saturday night at the Covelli Centre.

"Good teams find a way to win when you don't have your best stuff," said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. "Overall, that's a massive two points for us. I'm proud of the guys for sticking with it and finding a way to grit this one out."

Chicago opened the scoring just 3:30 into regulation, a net-front redirect by Jackson Crowder for a power play goal to stake the visitors to a 1-0 lead that they'd take to the locker room at the first intermission. Youngstown evened the game at 4:38 of the second on Kazimier Sobieski 's seventh goal of the season, a wrister to a yawning cage after Jack Parsons (21 saves) was out of position due to a scramble in the crease. The Steel retook the lead at 13:55 on Henry Major 's wrister from the high slot, but Conner de Haro leveled things up at 17:07, snapping one to the twine off a nice pass from Jack Hextall.

The Phantoms took their first lead of the night 1:51 into the third when Sobieski's cross-ice pass found Matti Butkovskiy alone at the weak-side post for an easy tap-in. Michael Mesic scored on the empty net at 18:19, with Owen Lepak, who also stopped 18/21, earning his first USHL assist on the play to give Youngstown a 4-2 lead. The Steel kept things interesting when Blake Vanek redirected a point shot past Lepak at 19:18 to get Chicago back within a goal. Off the ensuing faceoff, however, Justin Kerr created a turnover in the Chicago end and worked the puck to Butkovskiy, creating a 2-on-0 below the hashmarks. Butkovskiy passed across to Ryan Rucinski, who buried the puck past Parsons for his 14th goal of the season, removing any doubt from the outcome.

The victory gave Youngstown 40 wins on the season, tying the 2014-15 team for the most in team history. The win also moved Youngstown into a three-way tie at 81 points atop the Eastern Conference with the Phantoms owning a game in hand on both Madison and Dubuque. Youngstown wraps up their five-game homestand Sunday with a 4:05pm puck drop against Chicago.

By The Numbers

Shots - 26

Saves - 18

Power Play - 0/3

Penalty Kill - 3/4

Goals - Butkovskiy, de Haro, Mesic, Ruscinki, Sobieski

Assists - Butkovskiy, Hextall (2), Kerr (2), Lepak, Sobieski

Check out the Youngstown Phantoms Statistics

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