The final road contest of the schedule and a two-game home weekend awaits the Youngstown Phantoms in the last week of their first regular season in the United States Hockey League.
After splitting a home-and-home series with the U.S. National Team’s Under-17 squad last weekend, the Phantoms (18-35-4, 40 points) continue their final pass through the East Division with three games in four nights. The season-ending stretch begins Wednesday night in the Chicago suburb of Bensenville, as Youngstown will face off with the Steel (23-28-6, 52 points) for the first time since Dec. 5.
It’s fitting the Phantoms will make their final excursion to Chicago, since their first-ever preseason game and win both occurred at the Edge Ice Arena on Sept. 10 and 11, respectively. Of course, Youngstown’s first regular season road trip included a visit to the Second City, where the Phantoms surged to a 5-3 win Oct. 11 on the strength of a three-goal third period.
The Phantoms also earned their only other third-period comeback against the Steel, as Andrew Lamont and Nick Czinder each tallied to erase a 6-4 deficit, setting up overtime and Tom Serratore’s sudden-death clincher Nov. 14 at Covelli Centre.
In addition, Youngstown claimed a two-game sweep of Chicago Dec. 4-5, pushing its advantage in the regular season series to 4-0. That particular weekend marked the last time the Phantoms won back-to-back games; after stomping the Steel by scores of 6-4 and 3-1, the first-year expansion club improved to 10-8-2.
Perhaps another showdown with Chicago will call to mind positive memories and trigger a successful final week, which will conclude with a pair versus Cedar Rapids (36-28-3, 75 points) inside the friendly walls of Covelli Centre.
Whereas the Phantoms will gun for the season sweep against Chicago, Cedar Rapids will be attempting to turn the same trick on Youngstown, as the second-place RoughRiders have held serve at home three times in the series.
Courtesy: Youngstown Phantoms
