The Team | STRANG'S TRICK HIGHLIGHTS EMPHATIC WIN | ||||
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Even though the only thing they wanted to do was snap a six-game losing streak, the Youngstown Phantoms broke through in style, rewriting the franchise record book in the process. Cody Strang’s natural hat trick, the first three-goal game in Phantoms history, capped a remarkable five-goal second period as Youngstown stormed back from a 2-0 hole to pummel the U.S. National Team 7-3 at Covelli Centre Monday night.
Taylor Holstrom also set an individual mark with a four-point performance on a goal and three assists, the USHL All-Star’s first multipoint effort in eight games. As a team, the Phantoms set season highs for goals in a period (five), power play goals (three), shots on goal in a game and period (44, 22 in the second), margin of victory (four) and number of players recording at least a point (10). They tied a franchise best with seven goals, which matched their total from a Nov. 14 7-6 home win over Chicago.
Youngstown (14-17-2, 30 points) earned its first triumph since a 4-3 home decision over Waterloo Dec. 29 and is now within two points of the Black Hawks for the fourth spot in the East Division. The Phantoms will square off with Waterloo in their next game, Friday at 8:05 p.m. Eastern from northeastern Iowa.
Team USA’s Rocco Grimaldi potted a pair in Monday’s opening frame – the Under 17s’ leading scorer now has seven points against Youngstown this season – but then the Phantoms went to work on the comeback, getting an even-strength marker from Tom Serratore, his 11th, to cut the lead to 2-1 at the first intermission.
After misfiring on their first two power plays of the second period, Adam Berkle made sure the Phantoms’ third was the charm when he sniped a wrister off the crossbar and past Red, White & Blue starting goaltender Matt McNeely at 10:45 of the middle frame.
Holstrom, who assisted on the first Youngstown goals, cashed in nearly three minutes later, giving the Phantoms their first lead. Following a scrambling play in the low slot, the loose puck squirted to Holstrom. Youngstown’s leading scorer rifled a low laser around a sprawling McNeely at 13:48 to make it 3-2.
Then the Strang Show got rolling. With the Phantoms on another man-advantage, Wisconsin’s reigning Mr. Hockey stepped off the left-wing wall and slipped the puck through McNeely’s pads just 39 seconds after Holstrom’s strike. Jefferson Dahl assisted on the goal, as he would for all three of Strang’s red lights.
Strang raised the lead to 5-2 with less than three minutes to go in the frame, deflecting Luke Eibler’s center-point slapper into the twine while the Phantoms enjoyed a two-man advantage. Dahl’s perfect cross-rink delivery set up Strang’s hat trick tally in the final minute, a tight wrist shot to the roof of the goal that triggered an explosive celebration and sent Youngstown to the locker room with a four-goal bulge.
Gensler, who earned two assists on the night, put the puck on a platter for Jiri Sekac at 1:40 of the third, and the Czech forward buried his first USHL goal past replacement goaltender John Gibson to push the lead to 7-2. Gibson has played in four out of the five games between Youngstown and the Nationals on the season.
East Palestine’s J.T. Miller drove home a one-timer from the right circle with 1:02 to play to complete the scoring for Team USA (10-19-3, 23 points).
Go to http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1049061 for full box score.
Follow the Phantoms all season long via Youngstown’s ESPN 1240 (www.wbbw.com) and the B2 Networks at www.b2tv.com.
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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