Phantoms strive for five against Cleveland Barons

Mahoning Valley has won four straight.
BOARDMAN -- The Mahoning Valley Phantoms ice hockey team will look to match their season-high five-game winning streak tonight when they entertain the Cleveland Barons at The Ice Zone.
The puck drops at 7 p.m.
After Saturday's 8-1 conquest in Traverse City, the Phantoms (27-14-4) gained a tie with the Barons (27-15-4) for second place in the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) North Division with 58 points. They are four points behind the first-place U.S. National program.
They also matched their win total for all of last season with 13 games still remaining in this regular season.
Of those 13, four are against Cleveland (all at home) and three are versus the U.S., including two on the final weekend of the regular season at The Ice Zone.
In 10 prior meetings, the Barons have won five games in regulation compared to three for the Phantoms.
Another two contests went to an overtime shootout where both teams won once.
Cleveland's power play, ranked second in the NAHL at 21.9 percent, has been held in check by the Phantoms, converting only 8 of 69 chances for 11.6 percent.
Back in town
Both Cleveland center and league's second-leading scorer Carter Camper and Phantoms defenseman Doug Leaverton return to the states after playing for the U.S. National Team and winning the Vlad Dzurilla Classic in Slovakia this past weekend.
The U.S. swept their competition; opening with a 3-2 victory over Switzerland, followed by a 7-3 romp over Germany, and concluding the tournament with a 4-0 shutout of the host Slovakians.
The tandem of Marc Menzione and Anthony Ciraulo, along with Camper and teammate Josh Leonard, represent four of the league's top six scorers.
Leonard leads the league in game-winning goals with eight, while Camper is fourth in the NAHL with 12 power play goals.
In between the pipes, the Phantoms' Ryan Zapolski and Bryce Merriam, along with Cleveland's Bobby Jarosz and Kenny Reiter, are all ranked in the top 15 among goaltenders in goals against average.
Only one other team, Fairbanks, has a pair within the same ranks. The Phantoms are also the only team to have both goaltenders possess multiple shutouts this season.