The Team | GENSLER'S PAIR HELPS END LOSING STREAK | ||||
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FARGO, N.D. (October 30, 2009) – A return to the road plus two more strikes from Big Goal Brett equaled a winning formula for the Phantoms. Brett Gensler broke a third-period tie with his second goal of the game and goaltender Matt Mahalak stopped 20 of 21 shots as the Youngstown Phantoms put a four-game winless streak to an end with a 3-1 win over the Fargo Force Friday night at the Urban Plains Center.
Gensler, who leads Youngstown with five goals in eight games, deflected a wrist shot by defenseman Andrej Sustr between Force goalie Cody Campbell’s legs and into the net with 12:57 to go with the Phantoms on the power play. He also tallied late in the second off a Brian Dowd feed to counteract Johnnie Searfoss' man-advantage marker and tie the game 1-1 heading into the final frame. Defenseman Scott Mayfield iced the Phantoms' third win of the season with a unique shorthanded goal that caromed off the side glass and into an empty net. With Youngstown’s Taylor Holstrom in the penalty box, Mayfield gathered a loose puck behind his own goal and rifled a clearing attempt off the window that eventually skidded into the goal vacated by Campbell, who made 20 saves in the loss.
Mayfield’s clinching goal came just seconds after Ryan Jasinsky’s roughing minor expired, along with a Fargo 5-on-3 advantage that lasted 39 seconds. The Force came into the game with the league’s best power play, converting at a 26.5 percent rate, but the Phantoms killed off six of seven Force power trips including the pivotal late two-man power play.
The Phantoms (3-4-1) and the Force (4-4-0) will renew acquaintances Saturday night at 8:05 Eastern time, 7:05 Central. Youngstown is now 3-1-1 on the road while Fargo falls to 1-2-0 at home. An unfortunate streak continued for Youngstown with 2:29 gone in the second period when Fargo’s Searfoss tossed in his fifth of the season with the Force on the power play. The Phantoms have now surrendered a man-advantage goal in each of their first eight games this season.
Almost immediately after Searfoss’ icebreaking goal, Youngstown went right back on the attack, nearly tying the score on several occasions but constantly being turned away at the doorstep by Fargo netminder Campbell. Finally, on the Phantoms’ 12th and final shot of the middle period, Dowd deftly set up Gensler for a tip-in that squeezed by Campbell with 29 seconds remaining before the second intermission.
Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1048769 for full box score.
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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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 31 October 2009 02:07 ) |
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