Menzione's hat trick keys Phantoms, 6-3

Mahoning Valley beat Traverse City at The Ice Zone for its 19th win.
By Greg Gulas
Vindicator Correspondent
BOARDMAN -- Marc Menzione's hat trick, and two goals and an assist by Milan Drevenak, helped the Mahoning Valley Phantoms to a 6-3 victory over the Traverse City North Stars in North American Hockey League action Sunday at The Ice Zone.
"It wasn't a pretty weekend, but the end result makes it a lot easier to take," said Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt. "We know that when we stick to our defensive game plan, we have players that can put up the offensive numbers. That surely was the case this weekend.
The Phantoms (19-9-3, 41 points) swept their weekend series with the North Stars while improving to 6-0 this season against their North Division foes. They also remained undefeated at home with an 11-0-2 record -- the only team in the 20-team NAHL that can make that claim.
The Phantoms will play the division-leading Cleveland Barons at 7 p.m. Friday at The Ice Zone.
"Over the past month [Mike] Maltese has shown the brilliance that we expect of him," Mainhardt said. "He truly has the ability to become a big time player.
"While it took a while for [Milan] Drevenak to learn our system, he now understands what we want him to do and since then has really played well for us."
Ciraulo scores 17th
Anthony Ciraulo's team-leading 17th goal of the season just 3:56 into the contest staked the Phantoms to an early 1-0 advantage.
A goal by the North Stars' Ryan Bond at 15:34 tied the game after the first 20 minutes of play.
"We felt that we had some momentum in the first period, but the truth is that the Phantoms outplayed us the entire weekend," Traverse City head coach Scott Gardiner said.
"They are a well-coached team clicking on all cylinders right now. "I'm just disappointed in our overall play during the two-game series."
Maltese's first two goals of the night, the first at 5:16 of the second period and the second on a power play 3:03 later, gave the Phantoms a 3-1 lead. When Drevenak found the net on a shorthanded opportunity at 10:08, Mahoning Valley had built a 4-1 advantage.
The momentum shifts
Goalie Bryce Merriam then rejected Bonds' penalty shot and, less than 30 seconds later, rejected a breakaway by Jake Erway to shift the momentum in the Phantoms' favor.
"Both [Bryce] Merriam today and [Ryan] Zapolski yesterday were outstanding in goal for us this weekend," Mainhardt said.
"They're both growing right before our eyes each and every time out. Both are always up to the challenge when we put them in goal."
A goal by Traverse City's Matthew Larke at 18:32 cut the Phantom lead to 4-2 after two periods of play, but goals by Drevenak (4:46) and another shorthanded opportunity by Maltese (12:31) made it 6-2.
Erway's goal for Traverse City at 17:32 rounded out the scoring.
Mahoning Valley held a 59-36 shot advantage while Merriam posted his fifth victory.
Traverse City (10-17-4) lost for the third consecutive outing and the 12th time in the last 13 contests.