The Youngstown Phantoms have been dangerous all season while down a man, as they entered Friday night’s game at Covelli Centre with 14 shorthanded goals, third in the USHL. After the last two games, the Phantoms’ penalty-killing unit has been upgraded to downright lethal. For the second straight game, Youngstown scored twice shorthanded as they rolled to their second consecutive victory, 4-1 over the Cedar
Rapids RoughRiders. Adam Berkle had the first of the “shorties” and netted two total to help propel the Phantoms to their first winning streak since Dec. 4-5. The Phantoms (20-35-4, 44 points), who now lead the league with 16 shorthanded goals, also got
three points from defenseman Scott Mayfield, including his 10th red light of the season to lead all Youngstown blueliners.
Mayfield also registered three points in Wednesday night’s 9-3 stomping of the Chicago Steel. Stu Wilson scored first for the playoff-bound RoughRiders (37-19-3, 77 points), but Cedar Rapids lost its third road contest in a row. The RoughRiders, as the East Division’s No. 2 seed, will host the defending Clark Cup champion Indiana Ice Wednesday night in Game One of their best-of-five series. After falling behind on Wilson’s quick stash from in front of goalie Matt Mahalak at 14:11 of the first, the Phantoms wasted little time in drawing even again. Ryan Jasinsky freed the puck into the high slot, where Mayfield leaned into a blast that rose over Cody Campbell’s glove into the Cedar Rapids cage.
The second period began as the first ended, with Youngstown in command. Scooping up his own rebound, Berkle spun a forehand through Campbell’s body 3:21 into the frame to give the Phantoms their first lead. Berkle’s 16th tally of the season drew him within one Tom Serratore for the team lead. Serratore had company at the top a little more than three minutes later. While Andrej Sustr was in the box for holding, Mayfield sneaked down the left wing to get a quick shot off that Campbell kicked out, but directly to Berkle. The first-year USHLer made no mistake in boosting the lead to 3-1. During that same penalty and less than a minute after Berkle’s second of the game, defenseman Ben Paulides found room during a rush and snapped a shot that squeezed between Campbell and the right post for a three-goal advantage at 7:15.
The rest of the game contained no more goals, but plenty of action. Cedar Rapids’ Jordan DiGiando was given a major penalty for boarding Cody Strang at the second-period buzzer, setting off three fights as the Phantoms rushed to the defense of their teammate. Opposing goaltenders Mahalak and Campbell surprisingly squared off at center ice to start the fracas. After the rare goalie fight was extinguished, bouts broke out between Youngstown’s Dave Donnellan and Stephen Collins and between the RoughRiders’ Nick Lappin and Andrew Lamont. All six combatants, plus DiGiando, were issued game misconducts and hit the showers early. Youngstown netminder Jordan Tibbett shined in the third period, turning away all 19 Cedar Rapids shots in relief of Mahalak to maintain the three-goal margin.
The Phantoms will gun for three wins in a row Saturday at 7 p.m. on Fan Appreciation Night! Join the Phantoms for the season’s final game as the organization gratefully thanks you for your loyal support. Game-worn jerseys will be auctioned, great promotional items will be given away and area youth hockey teams will be honored on the season’s ultimate night!
COURTESY: YOUNGSTOWN PHANTOMS
