YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown Phantoms saw their three-game home winning streak come to an end Friday night in the Covelli Centre. After nearly 40 minutes of gridlock, Team USA got a third-period goal from Tyler Kelleher to propel them to a 2-1 win.
Zach Tatrn scored the lone goal – the first of his United States Hockey League career – for the Phantoms (18-10-2, T-third East) and Matthew O’Connor made 33 saves on the evening in his ninth start in the last 10 games.
“We’ve had a lot of games like this and it seems like they’ve gone our way for the most part,” Head Coach Anthony Noreen said. “Some of that is luck but a lot of that is the way our team competes.
“I though we were OK tonight in that department. But we weren’t good enough to earn the win.”
Team USA (12-11-3, sixth East) came out with energy in the first period, but the Phantoms were first, beating goaltender Curtis Frye on their first shot of the game. Tatrn got the puck from JT Stenglein near the top of the right circle and sent a snap shot through traffic that beat Frye before the game was six minutes old.
“Zach played really well tonight,” Noreen said. “Obviously, he scored that goal, but he had a couple other really good chances and set some of his teammates up… He was strong on the puck and physical.”
USA tied things up with 6:54 left in the period, when JT Compher found Tyler Motte all by himself in front on the net, and he put in high on O’Connor. Both teams went into the first intermission knotted at one, and after 40 minutes of play, the score remained the same.
Ryan Belonger had the chance to give the Phantoms the lead in the third period when he found himself on a breakaway, but he lost control of the puck before he could make his move and failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
Then Team USA saw its chance, and took it.
With a little more than seven minutes remaining in the final period, Connor Chatham carried the puck in 1-on-1 against Jordan Young. The second-year blue liner played it perfectly and knocked the puck into the corner, but Daniel Renouf lost his edge and Kelleher, who was trailing, picked it up, skated behind the net and tucked it on the far-side post to give Team USA the 2-1 advantage.
“Really, it was the only clear opportunity they had all game,” Noreen said.
The Phantoms had a number of chances to tie the game up in the waning minutes. Mike Ambrosia got himself a partial breakaway but was taken down without a whistle, while Eric Sweetman smacked a one-timer high just minutes later. In the end, though, the Phantoms were not able to put anything else past Frye and skated off with the first home loss of the new year.
“We had a couple breakaways and weren’t able to convert and they took their opportunity and they buried it,” Noreen said. “That’s what makes them special.”
Phantoms by the Numbers
33 – Saves
17 – Shots
100 percent – Penalty Kill (4-for-4)
1G-0A-1PT – Tatrn
0G-1A-1PT – Stenglein
Next on the Slate
The Phantoms have another chance to get their first win over Team USA Saturday night when the Eastern Conference rivals meet again in the Covelli Centre. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m. EST.
Saturday night is the Phantoms first annual Island Escape Night! Throw on a Hawaiian shirt or grass skirt as the first 1,000 fans will get free leis and the Greenville High School Steel Drum Band will bang out some tropical tunes. In addition to the island festivities the state champion Cardinal Mooney High School football team will be honored between periods.
Single game tickets for the 2011-12 season are on sale now. Season ticket and flex plans start at the low price of just $90. Call the Phantoms office today at 330.747.7825 for more information or to make a reservation today! For a complete Phantoms schedule, visit www.youngstownphantoms.com.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrates its 10th season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league in 2011-12. With over 280 players from last season that were committed to NCAA Division I schools and 18 NHL Entry Draft picks that were on League rosters, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.USHL.com.
Courtesy: Youngstown Phantoms
