The Team | PHANTOM PHILES: The Glory of Youth | ||||
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – These are the Phantom Philes, a weekly comprehensive look at Youngstown’s stop on the road to the National Hockey League.
The Youngstown Phantoms still have seven games left in their first USHL season, but March is championship time for hockey-playing youngsters. The Phantom Fireworks Youth Hockey program, based in Boardman’s Ice Zone facility, is no exception.
All Phantom Fireworks teams enjoyed the benefits of exercise, skill development and competition this hockey season, but three squads in particular brought home something extra: the glory of a league crown.
The oldest of those teams, the Midget Under-16 AA Phantoms, finished 13-6-1 in the Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League (PAHL), then went on to claim the postseason title. The Phantoms defeated the Butler Bulldogs, Pittsburgh Predators and Allegheny Badgers in the playoffs.
“I think what made this group so special is how well they play for each other and the Phantom name,” Head Coach Jim Black said. “Everyone bought into the team concept and work ethic which carried us to a championship.”
Matt Neurohr netted the biggest goal of the U16s’ season, scoring in overtime against the Predators in the sem
 ifinal game, then goalie Scott Brown stopped 29 of 30 Badgers’ shots in the championship game. Neurohr and Josh King registered hat tricks during the regular season, and the goalie tandem of Brown and Brennan Allen combined for eight shutouts.“I knew we had a good group of players that would work hard and get better as the season went on,” Black said. “Teams we competed against usually had more talented players but we always played together and remained disciplined throughout the season.”
An age group down from the Midgets, the Phantom Bantams (ages 13-14) placed first in the Bantam A Major Gold Division of the PAHL, posting a impressive 17-1-2 record in league play and a 27-6-4 overall mark.
Head Coach Don Allen had this to say about his squad’s strong showing: “Thanks to strong goaltending and great team defense the team gave up the fewest goals of any team in the league (27 in 20 league games).”
Finally, the Phantom Mites (under age 8) completed the Purple and Orange’s championship trifecta by claiming the PAHL’s Mite A Major Gold Division, losing only once in 12 contests. After dominating the division during the regular season, the Mites pushed though the Pittsburgh Predators in the postseason tournament.
“Our goal with the players was to have them go out and have fun,” Associate Coach Joe Creighton said. “They worked hard, played hard, listened well and played with discipline.”
For additional information on Phantom Fireworks Youth Hockey, visit the Ice Zone (www.theicezone.com) on 360 McClurg Rd. or call (330)965-1423.
PHANTOMS GAMES THIS WEEK:
Friday, March 19 at 8:05 p.m. @ OMAHA
Saturday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m. @ SIOUX CITY
FOLLOW THE PHANTOMS ALL SEASON LONG!
Listen to Voice of the Phantoms Matt Gajtka describe 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” is an hour-long weekly talk show that brings you an inside look at your Youngstown Phantoms. Gajtka 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 recent 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, March 12: YOUNGSTOWN 4, SIOUX CITY 3 (SO)
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown Phantoms forwards Taylor Holstrom and Brett Gensler have played together on the same line for much of the season and also get along well off the ice. Friday night, the two USHL veterans combined to deliver a pulsating shootout win.
Gensler scored in the fifth round to extend the shootout and Holstrom netted a clinching backhand deke in the seventh to send the Phantoms to a 4-3 triumph over the Sioux City Musketeers at Covelli Center. The win was Youngstown’s first on home ice since Jan. 18, ending a seven-game losing streak in northeast Ohio.
After a nip-and-tuck third period that saw Sioux City’s Stephan Vigier tie the game just three minutes after Jiri Sekac gave the Phantoms (17-32-3, 37 points) the lead at 13:33, the two teams skated a scoreless overtime to set up Youngstown’s second-straight shootout. The Purple and Orange dropped a 5-4 decision to Tri-City in the tiebreaker last Saturday after rallying late to tie.
The Musketeers (20-23-8, 48 points) are also no stranger to the skills competition, having played in a league-leading 11, and it showed in the second round as Alex Krushelnyski threw a backhander under the crossbar from in tight to put the visitors on top. Sekac responded with a backhand of his own, freezing goalie Matt Skoff with a shoulder fake before depositing his third shootout goal of the year in three attempts.
The 1-1 tie held up until the fifth round, when Tommy Olczyk slid a forehand shot around Jordan Tibbett, whose play was one of the primary reasons Youngstown made it to overtime. Tibbett set a franchise record with 48 saves on 51 Sioux City shots, snapping his old mark of 46 set Nov. 6.
Gensler faced a do-or-die situation in the last of the fifth, but the second-year winger pushed the puck between Skoff’s pads to extend the shootout to extra frames. Following saves by Tibbett on Sioux City’s Danny Wurden and Nick Sorkin, Holstrom sent the home crowd into a frenzy, slipping a shot under Skoff’s extended right leg.
The Phantoms are now 2-2-1 in their past five and have garnered points in back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 4-5 versus the Chicago Steel. Sioux City has suffered two straight overtime losses, but the Musketeers are still on a four-game unbeaten streak, going 2-0-2 as they try to keep playoff hopes alive.
Former Musketeer Tom Serratore haunted his former club with a bullet-like slap shot from above the left circle just more than two minutes into the game. Serratore played 69 games in Sioux City over the past two seasons, racking up seven goals; he now has twice that number in 50 games with Youngstown.
Jefferson Dahl soon joined Serratore in the 14-goals club, one-timing Sekac’s pass from behind the goal at 9:17 for a 2-0 Phantoms advantage. Dahl, Serratore and Sekac each finished with a goal and an assist each.
Vigier nailed his first of the game and 20th of the season from the right post with 7:40 left in the first to cut the lead in half. Tibbett denied Olczyk’s left wing shot during an extended Sioux City power play, but the rebound flipped directly to Vigier.
Olczyk set up the next goal as well, wiring a wrister on net that Sorkin deflected for his first as a Musketeer at 1:20 of the second to tie the game.
Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1049106 for full box score.
Saturday, March 13: SIOUX CITY 3, YOUNGSTOWN 2
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Adam Schmidt and Mitch Zion netted goals 1:29 apart in the third period, helping the Sioux City Musketeers erase a one-goal deficit en route to a 3-2 road win over the Youngstown Phantoms at Covelli Centre Saturday night.
Jefferson Dahl had put the Phantoms (17-33-3, 37 points) ahead 2-1 at 7:46 of the third, finishing the rebound of Ryan Jasinsky’s shot for his 15th of the campaign, one behind Brett Gensler, who picked up the other Youngstown goal in the second period.
Sioux City (21-23-8, 50 points) avenged the Phantoms’ shootout win Friday night with help from their potent power play, which scored four times during the two-game weekend series. During a man-advantage midway through the third, Stephan Vigier’s quick drive from the right of the Youngstown goal bounced off goalie Jordan Tibbett’s lower body and right to Schmidt for the tying tally at 10:22.
With the score tied for the second time, the Musketeers kept at work, generating a turnover behind the Phantoms’ net and converting a greasy goal for their first and only lead of the game. Matt Paape grabbed a loose puck behind the goal line and tossed it in front where Tommy Olczyk and Zion got cracks at it, with Zion finding twine with 8:09 to play.
Youngstown threw 14 shots at Sioux City netminder Jake Hildebrand in the third, many of them late, but couldn’t squeeze another past the Pittsburgh-born rookie, who stopped 28 shots for his first USHL win.
After firing 51 shots Friday night, Sioux City picked up where it left off Saturday, gunning at Tibbett from every angle in the first period en route to an 18-3 advantage in that category after 20 minutes of scoreless hockey. The Musketeers would go on to outshoot Youngstown 47-30 and are averaging 44 shots per game in the season series, which they lead 2-1.
Despite the early shot deficit, the Phantoms pushed the pace to begin the second and were rewarded with the first goal for the second straight game. With Youngstown enjoying its first power play of the night, Holstrom rifled a shot toward the Sioux City net that Gensler stopped in front. The second-year USHL forward then dealt the puck around goaltender Hildebrand with a backhand for his team-leading 16th of the season.
Sorkin, who earned his first goal as a Musketeer Friday night, continued his strong play with the equalizer later in the frame. The Maryland-native drilled a one-timer, assisted by Ford, from the right circle through traffic and past Tibbett to knot the score 1-1 heading for the third.
Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1049128 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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