The Team | PHANTOM PHILES: Holstrom, Czinder Named All-Stars | ||||
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – These are the Phantom Philes, a weekly comprehensive look at Youngstown’s very own stop on the road to the National Hockey League. The 2010 United States Hockey League All-Star Game will commence in two weeks at the Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis, but the puck won’t drop at the home of the Indiana Ice until two Youngstown Phantoms arrive.
Youngstown forwards Taylor Holstrom and Nick Czinder are among the 42 USHL players who have been chosen to participate in the annual talent showcase, which will pit the East Division All-Stars (Team CCM) against the best of the West Division (Team Reebok) Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Hoosier State’s capital city.
“As one of the USHL’s premiere events, the All-Star Game is a much-anticipated event not only for our fans, but the hundreds of NHL and college scouts who regularly recruit our young stars,” said USHL Commissioner Skip Prince. “Congratulations to all of those chosen – you’re the best of the best.”
Holstrom, a second-year USHL veteran from Yorba Linda, Calif., leads the Phantoms in scoring with 23 points (eight goals, team-best 15 assists) and has played in all 31 games while running up a +11 plus-minus rating that paces Youngstown at the halfway point of its inaugural season. The 5-foot-9 speedster has already surpassed his 2008-09 scoring statistics, when he accrued 19 points in 55 games with the Omaha Lancers.
“Taylor’s a guy who has competed hard every day since he got here and has definitely earned it,” said Phantoms Head Coach/GM Bob Mainhardt of the player taken from Omaha in last May’s USHL Expansion Draft.
“We knew we were getting an all-around player who would lead by example with his work ethic and competitiveness, and he’s delivered on all that, but I don’t think we knew how gifted he was offensively. That’s been a welcome surprise.”
The 6-foot-6 Czinder, named the Phantoms’ top pro prospect by NHL.com in October, has racked up nine goals, the fourth-best total on the team, plus five assists and a +10 rating that is second only to Holstrom. The native of West Bloomfield, Mich., led the USHL in shooting percentage for much of the season’s first three months and is now third in that category, connecting on an impressive 25.7 percent of his shots.
“People around this league recognize Nick’s potential,” said Mainhardt regarding Czinder, who skated previously for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School. “There are times when he’s been truly dominant. He has enough natural ability to play this game for as long as he wants to.”
USHL All-Stars are determined by a vote from League coaches and general managers along with input from NHL Central Scouting.
2010 USHL ALL-STAR ROSTERS
EAST DIVISION/TEAM CCM
Defensemen: Bryce Aneloski (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Mac Bennett (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Kevin Lind (Chicago Steel), David Makowski (Green Bay Gamblers), Nick Jensen (Green Bay Gamblers), Nick Mattson (Indiana Ice)
Forwards: Jeff Costello (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Mark Anthoine (Chicago Steel), Andrei Kuchin (Chicago Steel), Ryan Furne (Green Bay Gamblers), Anders Lee (Green Bay Gamblers), Reed Seckel (Green Bay Gamblers), Shane Berschbach (Indiana Ice), Max Cook (Indiana Ice), Bryon Paulazzo (Indiana Ice), Tyler Barnes (Waterloo Black Hawks), Brock Montpetit (Waterloo Black Hawks), Nick Czinder (Youngstown Phantoms), Taylor Holstrom (Youngstown Phantoms)
Goaltenders: Steve Summerhays (Green Bay Gamblers), Cab Morris (Indiana Ice)
WEST DIVISION/TEAM REEBOK
Defensemen: Austin Coldwell (Des Moines Buccaneers), Eamonn McDermott (Fargo Force), Nate Schmidt (Fargo Force), Dennis Brown (Omaha Lancers), C.J. Ludwig (Omaha Lancers), Chad Ruhwedel (Sioux Falls Stampede)
Forwards: Connor Brickley (Des Moines Buccaneers), T.J. Tynan (Des Moines Buccaneers), Nate Condon (Fargo Force), Matt Leitner (Fargo Force), David Gerths (Lincoln Stars), Seth Ambroz (Omaha Lancers), Erik Haula (Omaha Lancers), Matt White (Omaha Lancers), Stephan Vigier (Sioux City Musketeers), Matt Lindblad (Sioux Falls Stampede), Michael Voran (Sioux Falls Stampede), Radoslav Illo (Tri-City Storm), Jaden Schwartz (Tri-City Storm)
Goaltenders: Jeff Teglia (Omaha Lancers), Clay Witt (Sioux Falls Stampede)
Further announcements pertaining to the 2010 USHL All-Star Game will be made in the coming weeks. Updates about the event can be found at www.IndianaIce.com/allstargame and www.USHL.com.
PHANTOMS GAMES THIS WEEK…
Saturday, January 16 at 7:15 p.m. vs. TEAM USA – Kelly Pavlik’s 13th Round Night & Thunderstick Giveaway / Youngstown’s own boxing champ Kelly Pavlik will drop the puck on the Phantoms and Team USA’s first matchup at Covelli. Then, meet Phantoms’ players and staff at a special post-game party at Kelly Pavlik’s 13th Round Restaurant in Struthers!
Monday, January 18 at 6:30 p.m. vs. TEAM USA – Kids’ Day / Buy one adult ticket and receive a FREE children’s ticket! Get postgame autographs from Phantoms players and enjoy kids’ activities throughout the game. **Please note earlier start time**
FOLLOW THE PHANTOMS ALL SEASON LONG!
Listen to Voice of the Phantoms Matt Gajtka call exciting Phantoms hockey on Youngstown’s ESPN 1240. Broadcasts begin approximately 15 minutes prior to opening faceoff. Phantoms fans outside the listening area can log onto www.wbbw.com and use ESPN 1240's streaming audio player, so there’s no need to miss a second of the action.
Phantoms Phever, presented by House of Speed, is an hour-long weekly talk show that brings you an inside look at your Youngstown Phantoms. Matt sets up shop Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at Jeremiah Bullfrog’s Sports Bar & Grille on US Route 224 in Boardman, chatting with coaches, players and front office staff about northeast Ohio’s most exciting team and the great sport of hockey. Catch Phantoms Phever on Youngstown’s ESPN Radio 1240 AM and online at www.wbbw.com.
Also, make “Youngstown Phantoms” your friend on Facebook and follow “ytownphantoms” on Twitter to stay plugged into the Phantoms 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
RADIO REPLAYS, PRESS BOX OPINIONS AND MUCH MORE…
Relive heart-pounding Phantoms action on demand! Listen to all the best goal calls from the past week’s worth of games and get Gajtka’s take on Youngstown’s inaugural season in the USHL at the online Voice of the Phantoms blog at www.youngstownphantoms.com.
THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Friday, January 8: FARGO 4, YOUNGSTOWN 2
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Chase Grant’s second-period shorthanded goal gave the visiting Fargo Force a lead they would not relinquish as they earned their seventh win in a row, 4-2 over the Youngstown Phantoms Friday night at the Covelli Centre.
Grant added an assist later in the middle frame for a two-point night, and Garrett Allen, Corey Leivermann and Nate Condon netted goals for Fargo (21-9-1, 43 points). The Force, who represented the West Division in last spring’s Clark Cup Final, are 8-0-1 since Dec. 11 and have won 17 of their last 22 to climb within four points of West-leading Omaha.
The Phantoms (13-15-2, 28 points), despite goals from Tom Serratore and Brett Gensler, dropped their fourth-consecutive game, a season high, and still trail fourth-place Chicago by two points in the East Division. They will try to grab their third win against Fargo Saturday night; Youngstown swept the Force in a two-game series in Fargo, N.D., to conclude October.
Serratore hopped on the rebound of Adam Berkle’s right-wing wrister to put the Phantoms on top just 4:28 into the game. Serratore’s 10th of the season and fifth in his last seven games put Youngstown in a favorable position – the Phantoms had a 7-2-1 record when scoring first.
Fargo drew even before the period ended, however. Allen had a Nick Oliver shot deflect off his body and in behind Phantoms goalie Jordan Tibbett, who made 27 saves in his sixth start in seven games.
Grant’s go-ahead marker came when the Fargo captain capitalized on a Phantoms’ turnover in their own zone while they tried to rev up their third power play of the night. Grant broke in alone on Tibbett and dumped a backhander through his legs at 5:23 of the second to make it 2-1.
It quickly became 3-1 when Leivermann deposited the rebound of Colten St. Clair’s left-circle shot at 8:33, immediately following St. Clair’s faceoff win. Fargo came within 1:33 of carrying that two-goal margin into the third, but Gensler’s stuff from inside the crease, his 11th, cut the lead to 3-2 late in the middle stanza.
Condon’s team-leading 16th put the home side right back in the same hole, as he was set up inside the left circle by Chad Demers’ blind centering pass 2:21 into the third. Fargo outshot the Phantoms 7-4 in the final frame and 31-27 overall as Force netminder Ryan Massa improved his record to 9-1-0.
Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1048993 for full box score.
Saturday, January 9: FARGO 3, YOUNGSTOWN 2
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Fargo Force goaltender Ryan Massa joined the team midseason, but the first-year player has proven himself invaluable.
Only Andrew Lamont found a way to beat Massa, who improved to 10-1-0 as the Force stymied the Youngstown Phantoms 3-2 at the Covelli Centre Saturday night for their eighth-straight win. Lamont’s first career two-goal game wasn’t enough to prevent Fargo (22-9-1, 45 points) from sending Youngstown to a season-high five losses in a row.
The Force took control of a 1-1 game on a pair of second-period goals scored a mere five seconds apart by Garrett Allen (13:48) and John Stampohar (13:53) that pushed Fargo ahead 3-1. Allen’s came on a follow-up chance from the right post, then Stampohar sprinted down the left side after the ensuing center-ice faceoff to stun the home crowd.
Lamont grabbed the momentum back for Youngstown with a timely tally, his second of the contest, with only 41 seconds left in the middle stanza. Gathering the puck in the neutral zone, Lamont gained the blue line down the right wing, then swung into the middle for an uncontested snap shot that found twine.
Matt Mahalak’s 26 saves kept the Phantoms (13-16-2, 28 points) close at the end, including a spectacular stop on Colten St. Clair with less than six minutes to play in the third. Massa committed larceny himself early in the second, stoning Brett Gensler on the doorstep with the score tied 1-1. He and the Force held off Youngstown despite two late power plays for the home side.
Not long after the opening faceoff, Lamont rifled home his sixth of the season and second in his last four games. Getting a short pass from Jefferson Dahl below the right circle, the first-year USHLer found just enough space over Ryan Massa’s glove hand, high to the short side. The goal came at 1:10 of the first, the earliest Phantoms red light all season.
But just like Friday night, Fargo earned the equalizer before the first frame was complete. Force leading scorer Matt Leitner threw a bullet wrister past Mahalak’s blocker with the Force on a four-minute power play. Chase Grant and Colten St. Clair picked up assists on the sharp passing play that freed Leitner for the goal.
Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1049009 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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