The Mahoning Valley Phantoms rallied from a three-goal second-period deficit to force overtime, but couldn’t hold back the Traverse City North Stars who struck just 12 seconds into overtime to claim Game Two of the North Division Semifinals at the Chevrolet Centre Sunday.
Nathan Urbaniak scored the game-winning goal off an up-ice rush from the opening faceoff in the extra period as he, Phantoms goalie Jordan Tibbett and the puck all crashed into the net to end the contest and tie the best-of-five playoff series at one game apiece.
Urbaniak also opened the scoring, posting the North Stars to a 1-0 lead just 1:12 into the game when he found himself alone in front of Tibbett off a broken play and wristed the tally past the Mahoning Valley keeper.
Jerrod LaBelle advanced the Traverse City lead to 2-0 later in the first when he stole the puck from Tibbett behind the Phantoms’ net and deposited a wrap-around shot for a short-handed marker with 6:05 left in the first.
The teams deadlocked through the end of the first period and the first eight-plus minutes of the second before North Star forward Marc Thompson beat Tibbett with a transition wrist shot to extend the Traverse City edge to 3-0 with 11:15 remaining in the middle frame.
Four minutes later, the Phantoms started to claw their way back when Johnny Meo, on as an extra attacker during a delayed penalty call against the Stars, had a blocked shot land at his feet; Meo fired the loose puck past Traverse City’s C.J. Motte to put the Phantoms on the board at 3-1.
A tripping penalty called with three seconds left in the second period on North Star Mike Schenfeld set the scene for Cole Schneider to bring the Phantoms to within one goal when he rushed up ice and batted his own rebound under Motte and into the net to make the score 3-2 just 23 seconds into the third.
Alex Lippincott tied the game 2:27 later when, from his knees, he poked a deflected centering feed from Josh Bussell beind Motte and over the line to tie the score at three.
The teams remained knotted the rest of the way in regulation, with acrobatic saves from both Tibbett and Motte setting the stage for the all-too-brief overtime period.
Tibbett finished with 18 saves as his slipped to 1-1 in the postseason.
Motte is also 1-1 following his denial of 25 Phantom attempts to snatch home ice advantage away for the North Stars heading back to Traverse City.
The Phantoms fell to 1-4 in overtime games against the North Stars during the 2008-2009 campaign.
The best-of-five series will take a three-day break before the two sides meet again at Centre ICE Arena for Game Three of the North Division Semifinals on Thursday at 7:05 PM. Game Four will be Friday at Centre ICE, also at 7:05.
Courtesy: Mahoning Valley Phantoms
