HOCKEY Phantoms hit road against Soo Indians

BOARDMAN -- The Youngstown Phantoms Junior-A hockey club will be back in action for the first time since Sept. 22 when it travels to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., for a two-game series against the Soo Indians this weekend.
Youngstown's games against the defending NAHL North Division champions are scheduled 7 p.m. both today and Saturday.
The Phantoms (1-2-0) registered their first win of the season when they defeated the Toledo Ice Diggers, 5-2, Sept. 22. Youngstown got goals from Anthony Canzoneri, Billy Glynn and Rob Rassey in the third period. The victory came after back-to-back losses (9-4 and 10-4) to the USA 18-and-Under National Team the previous weekend.
Youngstown coach and general manager Bob Mainhardt expects to have a much healthier squad this weekend.
Hicks still shelved
Kevin Hicks, a defenseman who is out indefinitely with a fractured vertebra in his back, is the only player who will be unavailable.
Forwards Warren Byrne (shoulder), Kyle Laughlin (hand) and Anthony Ciraulo (elbow and ankle) and defensemen Chris Smith (mild concussion), Shane Lennox (elbow) and Jeremy Smith (ankle) all missed time during the first three games because of injuries.
"The most important thing that's happened since our last game is that we've gotten healthy," Mainhardt said. "We're really going to see our full squad this weekend, which we haven't seen to date."
Mainhardt said he expects to encounter a much different Soo Indians squad this weekend than the one that finished first in the NAHL North Division with a 44-6-6 mark last season. The Soo have gone 0-3-1 in their first four games this season. The only point the Indians have picked up so far came when they dropped a 4-3 overtime decision at home to the Cleveland Barons on Sept. 18.
"Last year the Soo had one really explosive line, and if you could shut that line down, you had a pretty good chance of beating them," Mainhardt said. "This year, I think we're going to see much more of a team effort from them. Especially early on, we'll have to see who we need to match up against and who the lines are to keep an eye on. They're going to play a much more physical style this year as well. This year, they have a little more size and a little more grit."