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USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Tommy's Two Not Enough for Phantoms as O'Handley Ties Record

January 17, 2014 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Tommy Parran notched his first and second career USHL goals, and the Phantoms nearly battled back from a 3-0 deficit, but in the end, the Waterloo power play was enough to propel the Black Hawks to a 4-3 victory over Youngstown at the Covelli Centre. It was a record-tying night for Waterloo coach P.K. O'Handley, who tied former Omaha coach Mike Hastings with 529 all-time regular season USHL victories, the most in League history.

The Black Hawks entered the contest with a 25-5-1 record, as well as the third-ranked power play in the USHL. The Phantoms played the formidable Black Hawks very strongly at five-on-five, but for Phantoms coach Anthony Noreen, the difference came courtesy of the penalties his team took.

"If we're going to be honest in evaluating ourselves, and look at the whole game and the process, we needed to stay out of the box," said Noreen. "We get two [penalties] early, and they have a good power play. We knew that coming in. They get two [goals], they make it three, and very easily, we could have folded.

"We went in after the first and we asked our guys, 'just win a period. Win the second period.' I thought we a great job hanging in, battling, and getting back in it. From that point on, I really liked us. Five-on-five, I thought we were great. Unfortunately, there wasn't much five-on-five for either team."

Indeed, there were penalties-a-plenty called on both sides in this contest. Waterloo finished 3/7 on the power play, and Youngstown was 1/9-an impressive display by the Black Hawks special teams that ultimately won them the game.

"We want to score, especially when we get that five-on-three," said Noreen, referring to a third period sequence where the Phantoms had an opportunity to tie the game on a two man advantage. "That's one you need. You have to score when you get those long five-on-threes. Having said that, the chances were there."

The Phantoms found themselves in a position to potentially tie the game late only thanks to a fantastic display of resiliency. The Black Hawks took a 2-0 lead to the dressing room after one, and they made it 3-0 early in the second period. Still, the never-say-die Phantoms continued to fight-fueled by Parran's first career USHL goal at the 6:30 mark of the second period, which was scored following a relentless Zach Evancho forecheck just before Parran's wrister found its way in.

"I couldn't even see the net, because their defenseman was in the way," said Parran on the goal. "But he went down to block the shot, and it went right over the goalie's shoulder."

The goal seemed to flip a switch in the Phantoms, who were arguably the better team from that point forward.

"It was huge," said Parran on the momentum swing. "Coach [Noreen] challenged us before the game to give them sixty minutes of hell. After the first period, he challenged us to win the period. He said to fight through all of the adversity and the penalties we took, and to do everything that we could. He challenged us, we responded, and worked hard. It was our game."

Youngstown made it 3-2 after a Kiefer Sherwood power play goal, but right at the end of the second period, penalty trouble plagued the Phantoms. Lukas Klok took a minor penalty for elbowing, and then former Black Hawk Josh Nenadal received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for head contact. Klok then received another minor shortly after exiting the penalty box. The Black Hawks emerged with just one goal despite the extended five-on-three and overall long power play sequence, and although it was enough to sink the Phantoms in the end, the damage could have been a lot worse.

"We did a good job there," said Noreen. "You saw it, you felt it on the bench-guys laying out, blocking shots, sacrificing their body-I was proud of the effort. Obviously, they scored, but five minutes is a long time to put this team [on the power play], and with two minutes of it being five-on-three, it's nothing for our penalty kill to hang their heads on."

Parran's second goal of the game in the third period brought the Phantoms back to life, but despite another late, impressive surge (including Kyle Connor having a goal correctly waved off for being played with a high stick), the Black Hawks held on for the victory.

"It shows how tough this league is," said Noreen. "I've said it before, you're never as good as you think you are when you're on a roll, and you're never as bad as you think you are when times are down. That's the best team in the league, and you look at that game-they buried their chances, and probably deserved to win, but we're right there with them every step of the way. I told our guys that there's nothing to hang their heads about. If anything, it's something that we should build on. The next time that we get one of these games, we have to find a way to win it."

The Phantoms' first-time goal scorer agreed.

"They're one of the best teams in the league, if not the best," said Parran. "We were neck and neck with them at five-on-five, if not better. That's huge for us, and we're going to continue to work and get better. We'll take this momentum and keep going tomorrow night."

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