Archive for the ‘Phantoms’ Category

The Youngstown Phantoms (12-18-2, 26pts) went to a shootout for the second time in a row against Team USA(13-6-3 , 29pts) avenging their shootout loss exactly seven days ago. Adam Berkle scored on the Phantoms final shot to pick up the 2-1 victory.

The Phantoms and Team USA each had the opportunities in the first period, but it was Team USA who found the back of the net first. With less than two minutes to play in the period, Ryan Haggerty beat Phantoms goaltender Greg Lewis to put Team USA up by one heading into the intermission. Even though the Phantoms trailed at the break they doubled up Team USA in shots, 12-6. The Phantoms and Team USA were unable to capitalize on power play opportunities in the first.

Unlike the first period, the Phantoms were outshot 13-6, but like Team USA in the opening frame, the Phantoms were the only team getting on the scoreboard. Phantoms forward Jiri Sekac scored just 2:25 into the period for his ninth goal of the year. The tying goal was assisted by defenseman Chris Bradley. The Phantoms were guilty of two penalties, but they were able to deny Team USA of any power play goals.

In the third period, neither the Phantoms nor Team USA could find the go ahead goal. The Phantoms were again outshot in the period, 18-12, but great goaltending by Lewis kept the game ties as both teams went to overtime for the second time in a week. In the overtime session, the Phantoms were forced to kill off a penalty to Scott Mayfield. A final penalty kill put Team USA 0 for 4 on the night. With three shots put on net and no goals, these two teams were headed for a shootout.

In the Phantoms’ second shootout of the year, Lewis was able to deny all but one Team USA shooter. For the Phantoms, Stu Higginsand Berkle beat USA netminder Matt McNelly to grab the 2-1 victory. The win gives Lewis his third in a row in four starts this season. On the year, Lewis has posted a 2.45 goals-against-average and .920 save percentage.

The Youngstown Phantoms (11-18-2,24pts) fell to the Muskegon Lumberjacks (13-11-6,32pts) 6-2 on Friday night at the L.C. Walker Arena.   Mike Ambrosia scored his first power play goal of the year and Jordan Young picked up two assists in his first game back since December 31.

After failing to score on their first power play of the period, the Phantoms did not waste their second man advantage when Mike Ambrosia scored to put the Phantoms up 1-0. The goal was assisted by Stu Higgins and Young. The go ahead goal was scored with 5:09 left in the period. Just over a minute later, the Lumberjacks responded and tied the game at one on a goal by Isaac Kohls. The Phantoms continued to pressure Jacks netminder Paul Berrafato, but they could not find their second goal of the period and both teams went into the break tied at one. The Phantoms outshot Muskegon 14-11 and were 1 for 2 on the man advantage.

“I thought the first period was very even,” said Head Coach Curtis Carr. “Each team had their opportunities but both goalies played well to keep the game tied.”

An unusually quiet period between the Phantoms and Lumberjacks resulted in no penalties against either team but three unanswered goals by the Jacks sent the Phantoms into the break down 4-1. With 3:10 remaining in the frame, Alexx Privitera beat Matthew O’Connor with a wrist shot from the near circle. Less than a minute later, Mike Moran scored on a rebound in front of the Phantoms net to put Muskegon up 3-1. With 15 seconds left in the second period, Muskegon scored their fourth unanswered goal as Charlie Taft took a centering pass and beat O’Connor to put the Lumberjacks up 4-1 heading into the final period. The Phantoms were outshot 16-7 in the frame and trailed in shots 27-21.

“We had three bad breakdowns in the second,” said Carr. “We got away from our game plan and made some bad decisions with the puck. We tried to make some highlight real plays and they hurt us.”

The Phantoms peppered Berrafato with 13 shots but could not find the back of the net in the first 14 minutes of the third period. With 5:47 remaining in the period, Lumberjacks forward Isaac Kohls scored his second goal of the game to put the Phantoms down 5-1. With 4:18 left in the game, the Lumberjacks added another goal, this one from Chris Lochner, to put the Phantoms down 6-1. Phantoms forward Higgins was able to score on the power play, giving the Phantoms two power play goals on the night. The goal was assisted by Kevin Liss and Young at 1:37. To no one’s surprise, this rivalry continued to heat up as a total of 14 penalty minutes were issued in the final 2:30 of play. The shot totals were 40-36 in favor of the Phantoms.

“You have to give their goalie a lot of credit,” said Carr. “We know we need to put pucks and bodies on the net. Our game plan focuses around that and their goalie played extremely well stopping 38 of 40 shots.”

The Phantoms will take on Team USA tomorrow night at 7:00p.m. (EST). The Phantoms are 1-0-1 against the National Development Program this season and the most recent matchup came last week as the Phantoms fell 4-3 in their first shootout of the season.

“It should not be too hard to motivate our guys for tomorrow,” said Carr. “Anytime you play a team as good as the National Team you know you need to bring your best game. We know we need to be better and I expect us to be ready to go.”

Ty Loney is still learning how to put on a serious face when he has to.  His father, Troy Loney, was a member of the great Pittsburgh Penguins championship teams of the 1990’s.  Loney, like his team, has been through an emotional circus this season.  He missed some games when he was injured, but says he is healthy and ready to go.  Don’t think Ty is getting a chance to skate at this level because of his last name, he is good on his own merits.  College scouts, pay attention, he is unsigned.  The thing someone who doesn’t spend much time around Loney would notice is that he battles not to smile.  I got to catch up with Ty after a recent practice at the Ice Zone.

Paneech: Do you have a college in mind, or are you open to whoever offers?

Loney: Not really.  Obviously, the big name schools are in the back of your mind.  It is all pretty much based on what the school is looking for at that time.  I am talking to schools, it’s not like anything isn’t happening.  Hopefully, within the next couple of months, I will know more.  If I don’t get a scholarship this year, I would probably keep playing in the USHL.

Paneech: Do you think scouts are waiting to see if you can play a healthy stretch?

Loney: I guess, yeah.  I have been under the radar a little bit, so I have to keep playing hard.  As long as the team is playing well and we can keep winning, that would be the best thing for me.

Paneech: You are on a real productive line with Jiri Sekac and Cody Strang.  Is the chemistry natural or do you guys work hard at practice to be in sync?

Loney: It is chemistry.  On and off the ice, me, Strang, and Jiri gel really well together.  The coaches help us out a lot and I think we all gain confidence by feeding off of each others energy.

Paneech: Your father was an NHL All-Star in Pittsburgh.  Does he push hockey or college on you, and what is he doing these days?

Loney: My father is in pharmaceutical management.  He is still around the game and coaches my little brother.  He coached me all of my life.  As far as the education part goes, I don’t know.  I might get involved in marketing or teaching, I’m really pretty wide-open.  My goal is to get the best education at the best possible hockey school.

Paneech: All of those big names:  Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Kevin Stevens, Mark Recchi…  Who did you get to like out of those guys?

Loney: Well, I was about two years old whenever that happened.  I skate with the alumni guys and have gotten to know a lot of them pretty well.  Bryan Trottier, um  Mr. Trottier is a really nice guy.  He is a lot of fun to be around and is very energetic and he was a great player.  He has been very fun to skate with at the alumni practices.

Paneech: Current NHL Hockey, are you a fan and do you watch?  Who do you like?

Loney: Yeah, I watch all the time.  My favorite player has got to be Rick Nash or Jerome Iginla.  I have always loved Iginla ever since he started in the league.  Both of my parents are from Alberta, and the Flames were the Alberta team, so I grew up on Iginla.  He is a hard worker and a goal-scorer, just a great guy to be around too.  I was lucky enough to meet him when I was younger.

Paneech: What has been your favorite part about Youngstown?

Loney: I love doing the community service stuff.  Me and Dylan [Margonari] were talking about it and we both really enjoy that.  We helped out at a school the other day, and it was just fantastic.  We would do as much of that stuff as we had the chance to.  As far as what we do when we aren’t tied up with hockey stuff, we just all like to hang out.  I’m 18 years old, so it’s not like we go hang out in bars as we are not old enough, nor really want to.  We will go eat, hang out at the mall, or play some video games.

Paneech: What is life on the road like?

Loney: I love the bus.  I don’t know what it is, but as soon as I get situated, I pass out on that thing.  I hit my bunk and it’s over.  Jiri [Sekac] doesn’t like the bus much.  He is right across from me and gets bored watching me sleep. I don’t mind the bus trips at all.

Paneech: What has it been like playing for Coach Carr?

Loney: He is a great coach and a great guy.  He wants the best out of all of us and even when it seems he is being hard on us, he is always right.  He is fun to be around and gets serious when he needs to be serious.  All of the coaches we have are positive role models trying to put us in the right direction.

Paneech: Who are the people on the team you are closest to, and conversely, who have you had problems with?

Loney: I get along really well with Jiri [Sekac].  We are both jokesters and like to have some fun when the time is right.  Me and [Ben] Paulides have some battles.  We are good friends, so everything always ends up fine.

One Word Answers

Favorite Meat: Steak.

Favorite Fast Food: Chik-Fil-A.

Toppings On A Pizza: Pepperoni.

Favorite Movie Ever: Anything with Will Smith. iRobot.

Ultimate Statistical Goal: A point per game.

Favorite Cereal: Captain Crunch.

Favorite Cartoon Character: Goofy or Bugs Bunny.

Favorite Season: Winter.

Sport You Played Other Than Hockey, Position: Baseball, Shortstop.

Whats Worse, Dentist Or Doctor? Doctor.

A Fruit You Absolutely Hate: Bananas.

The Youngstown Phantoms have been in a bad mood lately.  They have had more fights in their last three home games than they had all of the home games before that.  They are now playing with an edge, and that could be a good thing.  Saturday, the Phantoms welcomed the expansion Muskegon Lumberjacks to Youngstown.  Jiri Sekac buried a goal with just 44 seconds left in the game to keep Youngstown on a roll and propel the Phantoms to a 4-3 win over Muskegon.

The first period was filled with everything a hockey fan could ask for.  There was a decent fight between Quinn Smith of the Phantoms and Micki Mihailovich of Muskegon.  There were powerplays, shorthanded chances, good saves, and with 17:23 gone, there was even some scoring.

Muskegon broke the seal in this one when Charlie Taft connected from close range to beat Greg Lewis.  Taft’s goal was his eighth of the season and he was assisted by Kevin Albers and Jaycob Megna.

The Phantoms answered when Scott Mayfield scored unassisted less than a minute later at the 18:02 mark.  The Phantoms did not stop there.  Like a championship boxer trying to steal a round in the last 20 seconds, the Phantoms landed another big blow when Ty Loney gathered a loose puck and snuck it past Joel Vienneau to give the Phantoms a 2-1 lead.  Loney (below) was assisted by Ben Paulides and Cody Strang.

In the second period, the Phantoms tallied when Strang picked off a pass and raced to the Lumberjacks end beating Vienneau five-hole to put Youngstown ahead, 3-1.

The Phantoms held a 30-11 lead in shots on goal until they started picking up penalties.  Muskegon got a goal from Casey Thrush and a powerplay goal from Matt Berry.  Berry’s goal came during a 5-on-3 opportunity at the 17:41 mark of the second.  Berry was assisted by Alexx Privitera and Ryan Misiak on the game-tying goal.  By the end of the second period, The shots on goal were 32-20 in favor of Youngstown, but the score was deadlocked at three.

With under a minute left in regulation, Jiri Sekac delivered.  Sekac’s eighth goal was of the even-strength variety and was assisted by Loney and came with just 44 seconds remaining in the game.  The Phantoms win raised their record to 11-17-1  in winning their second in a row.

Loney talked about the pass that set up Sekac’s heroics.  “I was in the corner and the defense was collapsing toward me.  Jiri was open and I knew he could make that shot.”  Loney threw a good pass and the rest is history.

A pier six brawl ensued at the end of the game when at least four fights broke out at the buzzard.  The Phantoms are definitely playing with more attitude, and that’s a good thing.

After the game, Coach Carr talked about what has been different winning these close games.  “I actually thought we played better last night.  Our offense performed well and we got shots on goal, but we were more composed last night.  The difference lately has been partly because we are playing more physically.  We are not encouraging fights, but we are definitely being more physical.”

Ty Loney summed up the physicality issue very well.  “We are playing with an edge.  We needed these two wins as they will definitely help us in the standings, and yes, we are playing with a bit more intensity.”

The Youngstown Phantoms (10-17-1,21pts) battled for a full sixty minutes and they were able to win a thriller as they beat the Sioux City Musketeers (15-11-2,32pts) 4-3. A two point performance (1g,1a) by Adam Berkle and a game winning goal byCody Strang gave the Phantoms their first win of 2011.

The Phantoms got on the board three minutes into the game when Quinn Smith put a shot on goal and Berkle found the back of the net with a rebound shot over the right shoulder of Musketeers goalie Jake Hildebrand. The Musketeers would answer with ten minutes left in the period after Ryan Carpenter passed the puck to Tim O’Brien who beat Phantoms goalie Greg Lewis to tie the game at one. The Phantoms led in shots 10-8 at the end of the first period. Lewis, making his second start of the season, put aside seven of eight shots in the frame.

The second period was scoreless for the first ten minutes but the Musketeers took a 2-1 lead at the 10:04 mark on a power play goal by Max McCormick. McCormick threw the puck in front of the net from behind the goal line and it glanced off the foot of Strang as it found the back of the net. The bad bounce was just one of many that has plagued the Phantoms this season. The Phantoms continued to battle and with 3:47 left in the period, the Phantoms would capitalize on a power play of their own. Chris Bradley was able to move the puck to Berkle who put a one-time slap shot on goal as Ty Loney tipped the puck past Hildebrand for the tying goal. The goal wasLoney’s eleventh of the season and Berkle’s second point of the night. Two minutes later, the Musketeers took the lead once again when Brad Robbins found McCormick who put a wrist shot past Lewis for his second goal of the night. The Phantoms went into the break trailing 3-2 but had 45 seconds of carry over power play time. With two bad bounces in the period, the Phantoms knew they had to move forward.

“With the bad bounces on both the second and third goals we had to remain positive,” said Head Coach Curtis Carr. “Positive thoughts led to positive things and we continued to battle. Our guys have not given up at all this season and our hard work paid off tonight.”

The Phantoms could not capitalize on the power play but just over two minutes into the period Stu Higgins struck for the Phantoms.Mike Ambrosia moved the puck behind the net to Ryan Belonger who found Higgins right in front. Hildebrand wasn’t able to make the stop as a Higgins backhander tied the game at three. Ambrosia got the assist increasing his point streak to five games. With the game tied at three, Strang was looking for redemption late in the third period. After having a goal go off of his foot Strang found the back of the net to give the Phantoms the 4-3 lead. Jiri Sekac fed Strang the puck who placed a beautiful wrist shot over the glove hand of Hildebrand.

“We worked hard all night,” said Strang. “It was finally nice to win one of these games after such a tough month. The goal off my foot made me feel like I let the team down but the game winner was a great way to pick everyone up.”

With the victory the Phantoms gave Lewis his first win on the USHL level. In two games played Lewis has recorded a 3.00 goals-against-average and a .900 save percentage.

“I was kind of nervous at the start,” Lewis said with a laugh. “I did not see a lot of shots in the beginning and I finally fell into a grove later in the game. Hats off to Cody for getting the goal and I am just so happy to pick up the victory.”

The Phantoms play their second home game in as many nights tomorrow against the visiting Muskegon Lumberjacks (12-10-6,30pts).

“Tonight is over,” said Carr. “We deserved this win and our guys should feel really good about this one. We need to come back to the rink tomorrow ready to play and ready to work just as hard as we did tonight.”

The Youngstown Phantoms (9-17-1,19pts) could not finish the year 2010 with a win as they lost a tough one to the Indiana Ice (13-10-2,28pts) by the score of  5-4. Mike Ambrosia recorded an assist extending his point streak to four games in the losing effort.

After a quiet ten minutes to start the first period, Phantoms forward John Fritsche was sent to the penalty box for tripping at 10:22. The power play was killed off by the Phantoms but the momentum gained while on the man advantage gave the Ice they edge they needed. David Johnstone tipped a pass from Ferlin behind Matthew O’Connor to take the 1-0 lead. Just over four minutes later on a Phantoms power play, Cody Strang banged home an Adam Berkle rebound for his sixth goal of the season. The secondary assist on the tying goal was credited to Jiri Sekac.

Forty-one seconds after the Phantoms goal, forward Ryan Belonger took advantage of a misplayed puck by Ice netminder Casey DeSmith to put the Phantoms up 2-1. The goal was unassisted and it was Belonger’s ninth goal of the season. With 1:42 remaining in the first period, Berkle was issued a two minute penalty for elbowing. Before the Phantoms touched the puck to stop play, Ice forward Will Aide dropped the gloves with Berkle in response to his thrown elbow. On the ensuing Ice power play, Ferlin was able to tie the game at two right off the faceoff in the Phantoms zone. The goal was Ferlin’s second point of the first period and it was assisted by Blake Coleman. At the end of the first, the two teams were tied at two but the Phantoms were able to outshoot Indiana 14-9.

“We responded really well tonight,” said Head Coach Curtis Carr. “After a tough game after the break and the game against Des Moines our guys came out ready to play tonight. It was a tough day of travel and to play a hot Indiana team they way we did, there is nothing but positive things to say after this one.”

Tempers continued to flare as the Phantoms and Ice moved toward the midway point of the second period. With Indiana outshooting the Phantoms 8-5 with 11:35 remaining in the period, Andrew Sinelli dropped the gloves with Ice forward Chris Martin. The Phantoms were a post away from taking the lead when Quinn Smith took a feed from JT Stenglein and made a fantastic move around an Ice defender. Smtih’s shot rang off the far post leaving the game tied at two.

About a minute later on a Phantoms power play, DeSmith made a great save to deny Sekac and on the ensuing dump into the Phantoms zone O’Connor played the puck right to the stick of Ice forward Coleman. With O’Connor out of the net and up around the hash marks, Coleman had a wide open net to shoot at as he gave Indiana a 3-2 lead on the shorthanded goal. Responding to what could have been a back breaking goal Phantoms forward Ty Loney scored to tie the game at three. The Phantoms goal was assisted by Sekac giving him his second assist of the night. The second period ended with the Phantoms on the power play giving them thirty seconds of carry over time. The Phantoms again outshot the Ice 15-10 giving them a two period advantage of 29-19.

The Phantoms could not capitalize on their carry over power play but on their second man advantage of the period Stu Higgins put a one timer in the back of the net to give the Phantoms a 4-3 lead. Ambrosia and Ben Paulides were credited with the assists on Higgins’fifth goal of the year. Eleven seconds later Daniil Tarasov beat O’Connor to tie the game back up at four. Tarasov benefited from a fluky bounce in front of the net as the puck made its way across the line. The Ice were then able to take the lead on their own power play as Tarasov scored his second of the game to give the Ice a 5-4 lead with six minutes to play. Like the fourth goal, the puck this time bounced off of a Phantoms player in front of the net before it crossed the line. The Phantoms pulled O’Connor with under a minute to play but the equalizer was never found as the comeback effort was spoiled by Indiana. The Phantoms were outshot in the third period 14-8 but held the advantage at the end of the game 37-33. The Phantoms recent history repeated itself against the Ice as three of the five Indiana goals came off of bad bounces on its way into the net.

“I have never seen so many bad bounces against one team,” said Carr. “In my entire hockey career I have never seen this many bounce in one season. We are not making excuses but it would be nice if one or two or those bounces would go our way.”

The Phantoms return to the Covelli Centre on January 7 and 8 for games against the Sioux City Musketeers and the Muskegon Lumberjacks. January 7 is Mac ‘N’ Cheese Night sponsored by the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and January 8 is Military Appreciation Night. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available by calling 330-747-7825.

Embarrassment. It is a word that humbles, but has an upside in the way of motivation sometimes.  The Youngstown Phantoms, coming off of a 7-2 loss to Indiana were embarrassed.  Des Moines warded off an early flurry of goals and kept their composure to beat the Phantoms, 5-4.  It should be noted that Youngstown played much, much better against Des Moines than they did against Indiana one night earlier.  No embarrassment on this night, just a very hard-fought loss.

The opening face-off usually starts the “feeling out” period of a hockey game.  Teams will often try to detect the strengths and weaknesses of an opponent.  Just 33 seconds into this game, the Phantoms were done feeling out Des Moines.  Mike Ambrosia connected from close range for his fifth goal of the season to put the Phantoms up early.  Ryan Belonger fed Ambrosia for an assist and the puck had just enough on it to scoot past Buccaneer goaltender, Michael Shibrowski (next photo down).

Less than three minutes later, Cody Strang got himself in on the action for the Phantoms. Jiri Sekac, who missed last night’s contest due to inclement weather, picked up an assist when he set Strang up for his fifth of the season.  The goal, just 3:12 into the game, put the Phantoms ahead 2-0.

Youngstown stayed hot and got a third even-strength first period goal.  Ty Loney took the team lead with his ninth goal of the year to put the Phantoms ahead 3-0.  Loney’s unassisted goal came at the 15:32 mark of the first, and the Phantoms looked to have things under control.  Before the period ended, Des Moines found the scoreboard when Kevin Irwin scored unassisted to cut the score at intermission to 3-1.

In the second period, Des Moines continued to fight back when Irwin recorded his second goal of the game, this time on the powerplay, something the Phantoms have really struggled against, to cut the lead to 3-2 in favor of the host Phantoms.  later in the second, the Buccaneers tied the game when Mitch Cain scored at the 10:47 mark of the second period.  Cain’s sixth goal was assisted by Justin Selman and Peter Stoykewych.

The Phantoms finally cashed in on a powerplay with just 39.2 seconds left in the second period.  Sekac took a beautiful pass from Strang to score from close range just outside of the goal crease.  Jordan Young also picked up his seventh assist of the season on the goal that gave Youngstown a 4-3 lead heading into intermission.

In the third period, Des Moines scored a pair of quick goals to claim a 5-4 lead.  The first was a Doug Clifford powerplay goal.  Clifford got assists from Ethan Prow and Austin Coldwell.  The game-tying goal was scored 2:02 into the final period.  Cain picked up his second goal of the game, also a powerplay opportunity.  Chris Joyaux and Kevin Irwin claimed assists on the go-ahead goal for the Buccaneers.

The Phantoms got a two-man advantage in the last few minutes of the game and another one-man advantage to end the contest, but were unable to capitalize and tie the game.  With the 5-4 loss, Youngstown fell to 9-16-1 and lost their sixth in a row.  Des Moines improved to 11-8-2.  The Phantoms outshot the Buccaneers 32-28.  Give the home team credit for a better effort and really leaving it all on the ice.

The Youngstown Phantoms needed a break.  Heading into this contest with the Indiana Ice, the Phantoms had dropped four contests in a row, all on the road.  It seemed like an eternity since the Phantoms had a home game (December 4), which incidentally was the last time this team won.  A three-goal second period doomed the home team as Indiana collected an even-strength, a powerplay, and a shorthanded goal over the last seven minutes of the frame to post a 7-2 win Tuesday.

Indiana scored at the 13:36 mark when Blake Coleman fired a shot that hit the post and apparently went in.  Coleman’s goal was a powerplay score and he was assisted by Brian Ferlin and Danlil Tarasov. For Coleman, it was the 11th goal of the season.

The Phantoms wasted little time knotting the contest at the 14:39 mark of the opening period.  Dylan Margonari connected for his third goal of the year, an even-strength chance.  Mike Ambrosia picked up an assist on the Phantoms game-tying score.  The first period would come to a close in a 1-1 deadlock.  The Phantoms and Ice were playing very physical hockey and there was no shortage of hits or near fights throughout the game.

Youngstown would grab a 2-1 lead early in the second period when Ryan Belonger stayed hot and scored for the fourth time in the last ten games.  Ambrosia picked up his second assist of the night and sixth of the year.

The roof then caved in on the Phantoms.  Indiana scored three second period goals in the last seven minutes of the stanza to take a 4-2 lead into intermission.  Adam Erne connected for an even-strength goal with an assist from Peter Schneider to tie the game.  Sean Kuraly then broke loose for the Ice to net a shorthanded goal.  Kuraly gathered a loose puck near center ice and raced toward the net beating Matt O’Connor for the go ahead goal.  Tarasov put an exclamation point on the strong period connecting on another powerplay, this time Ferlin got the assist to put the Ice in front 4-2 after two periods.

At the 18:32 mark of the final period, Indiana tacked on another goal to increase the lead to 5-2. Jarrod Rabey picked up the third powerplay goal of the night for the Ice.  Just over a minute later, Coleman got his second of the game, an even-strength tally, and the rout was on.  Chris Martin (not from Coldplay) tacked on a late goal to wrap the scoring up at 7-2 in favor of the Ice.

With the loss, the Phantoms fell to 9-15-1.  Indiana improved to 12-10-2 with the victory.  The Ice outshot Youngstown, 30-25.   Youngstown welcomes Des Moines for a rare Wednesday night game at the Covelli Centre.

“We have to come ready to play 60 minutes.  It seems like something goes wrong that we do not recover well, and we need to”, said Curtis Carr after the game.  “We compete with the best teams in the league and what happened here tonight does not reflect what kind of team we have.”

Adam Berkle knows that bigger things are in his future.  A scholarship to hockey powerhouse Northeastern University is the big prize, and he has earned it.  Berkle is a carryover from last season, so it was fun to prod him with comparison questions between the two years he has been in a Phantoms uniform.  The biggest difference is that Berkle is the captain of the team this season and his role as a leader has grown.  He is not a loud person, some would even categorize him as quiet, but I got him to talk a little at the Ice Zone when I had the privelage of interviewing him.

Paneech:  This year’s team seems like it is streaky.  You guys started out on fire, went into a terrible slump and are now playing at a high level again.  Should we expect these major swings all season?

Berkle:  We went into a pretty bad slump and we weren’t sticking together.  We have that fixed and are working hard as a team and really playing together again.  We are sticking together no matter what and not turning games into emotional rollercoasters, just staying even keel.

Paneech:  One of the best games I saw you guys play this season was a 1-0 loss.  What is more satisfying, winning ugly or losing a heartbreaker?

Berkle:  The one goal loss was really frustrating because we gave it up on the power play.  We played well and it was part of the losing streak although we were now moving in the right direction.  It is really frustrating to lose when you play that good of a game.

Paneech:  Have you found a place in Youngstown that you can hang out and have fun, or are you happier with staying in and playing video games or watching television?

Berkle:  Basically, we have practice and then we will go out and grab something to eat.  Other than that we use the internet, play video games, or just hang out.  We play all of the EA Sports games on an Xbox.  Besides NHL 2011, we play Madden and Fifa and alot of us are into Call of Duty right now.  Everyone on the team is playing that game right now. 

Paneech:  Are the days of conventional stretching over and done?  When I get to the games early, I always see a circle of guys playing with a soccer ball or a hackey-sack.

Berkle:  I guess we do stuff like that to just pass the time.  It does get us warmed up instead of just standing around two hours before the game.  We are starting to play more wall ball and not as much with the circle.

Paneech:  If you could bring back a Phantom from last year who could really help this year, who would it be, and why?

Berkle:  Tom Serratore.  He was my roommate last year and is one of my best friends, and he brings a lot to the ice. 

Paneech:  What are the strengths of this year’s Phantoms team?  I have yet to see a fight, is that a Curt Carr no-no?

Berkle:  Our strength this year is that we come out hard every game.  Last year, if we went down a goal, we would hang our heads and not try as hard.  Now, if we are in that situation, we are staying in it instead of being down.  Last year, we were a different type of team.  We were a lot bigger and we had actual fighters on the team.  This year, we are playing hard and we still hit a lot.  When we need somebody to step up and fight, someone will.  I don’t think that fighting is that big of a part of the game,  it distracts players and takes away from the game.  We will keep hitting and if there is a cheap shot, someone will step up and fight.

Paneech:  Let’s talk about your future plans and how playing in this league may have helped you secure a dream.

Berkle:  I feel very fortunate, and Northeastern was always my number one choice.  Ever since they started to talk with me a couple of years ago, I have wanted to go there.  I’m really excited about going there next season and this league has helped me a lot.  The speed at this level will definitely make my transition to college hockey easier.

Paneech:  Speaking of transition, Coach Carr has been in transition over the past year.  He has gone from an assistant to the head coach.  He went from being a newlywed to a married father.  An act that says plenty about him is that after every game before he approaches the scouts or the media, he kisses his wife and his baby daughter, showing his true character.   How is Coach Carr to play for?

Berkle:  It’s been really good.  He will give us some slack to a point.  We can be loose and joke around in the locker room before a game, but he will remind us why we are there and never lets things get out of hand.  He has helped me out since I got here in many different situations, on and off of the ice.

One Word Answers

Favorite NHL Player:  Jeff Carter.  I model my style after him.

Favorite NHL Team:  Philadelphia Flyers.

Typical Fast Food Order:  Chik-Fil-A #1, no pickles, sweet tea and an extra sandwich.

Favorite Drink:  My go-to is water, but I love Mountain Dew.

What You Watch Other Than Hockey:  Baseball.

How Many Times Have You Watched The Mighty Ducks?  Too many times to count.

Favorite Movie:  Caddyshack.  ( I knew I liked Berkle for a reason).

Best Breakfast Cereal:  Lucky Charms.

As A Kid… Eat The Cereal or Dig For The Prize:  I ate the cereal.

Favorite Juice:  Orange Juice.

Toppings On A Pizza:  Just cheese, but sometimes sausage.

Favorite Music:  Everything – Rap, Country, and Rock.

Favorite Muppet:  Kermit The Frog.

Best Cartoon Character Ever:  Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin.

The Omaha Lancers only make one trip to Youngstown each season.  The Youngstown hockey fans were treated to a great game that featured a couple of Gold Medalists who recently represented the United States.  Scott Mayfield (left) of the Phantoms and Seth Ambroz (right) of the Lancers were honored before the game started as teammates on the US Championship Team.  Ambroz shined a bit brighter on this night chalking up a pair of assists as Omaha broke open a close game in the third period to win 5-2.

The Phantoms did have chances early and got on the scoreboard first when Ty Loney connected from close range to beat Lancers net minder John Keeney.  It was the fifth goal for Loney in only his ninth game this season.  Picking up assists on the goal were Cody Strang and Jiri Sekac.

Omaha wasted little time responding and tying the game.  Nick Oddo knocked in his fourth goal of the season.  The even-strength tally was assisted by Justin Crandall and Ambroz.  Keep the name Ambroz in your memory, he is NHL-bound and really has a nose for the puck.

Before the first period ended, the Phantoms scored a goal to claim a 2-1 lead.  Sekac took the puck top shelf (below, note the water bottle on the net going vertical from the puck) over Keeney’s right shoulder for his fifth.  The even-strength goal yielded assists to Loney and Strang.

The Lancers scored the lone goal of the second period to tie the contest at two goals apiece.  Colin Markison connected unassisted on a power-play goal.  The Phantoms had 22 shots after two periods compared to the Lancers 20.

With 3:36 gone in the third period, the Lancers again scored with a man advantage. The Phantoms  Jordan Young was whistled for hooking.  About ten seconds into the Lancers power-play, Oddo connected and Ambroz gained another assist.  The 3-2 advantage was the first of the night for Omaha.

Stefan Demopoulos picked the pocket of a Phantom inside the Phantom zone and beat Matt O’Connor on a shorthanded chance. The goal was the fourth of the year for Demopoulos, and even when the Phantoms seemed to have momentum, a Lancer deflated the hopes of a game-tying goal.  The Phantoms managed only one shot through the first 14 minutes and only one more the rest of the third period.

Crandall put an exclamation point on things for the Lancers as he floated one past O’Connor to give the team from Omaha an insurmountable three-goal lead at 5-2, which is where this one would end.

After the game, Coach Curt Carr voiced his displeasure with his team only getting two shots on goal in the final period.  “We didn’t come out in the third period, we just didn’t show up. I’m not sure why, I think our guys maybe took for granted that we could ease through.  We need to keep working hard and realize that we are a very young team.”

Scott Mayfield reflected on the loss.  “We are in a slump.  Our first line is rolling, but we need to get the puck on net more, being outshot 14-2 in the final period shows that we are not playing to the level that we should be.  They capitalized, they had a five on three and scored, that is what we need to start doing when we have those chances.”

The Phantoms fell to 5-9-1 with the loss.  Omaha improved to 7-4-2.  The Phantoms host the Dubuque Fighting Saints, a team rejoining the USHL after a nine-year absence Saturday night at the Covelli Centre.  Catch some live hockey, the guys could use a boost in the form of audience noise!