Phantoms suffer 4-2 loss to Ice Diggers

Russell Anderson scored a pair of goals against
Mahoning Valley.

ALPENA, Mich. — Led by goaltender Nate Pellegrino and forward Russell Anderson, the Alpena Ice Diggers beat the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, 4-2, Saturday at Northern Lights Arena.

Anderson got the scoring started, burying a one-timer under the leg of Phantoms goaltender Jordan Tibbett early in the first.

Derek Graham answered just minutes later to tie the game at 1-1.

Graham capitalized on a turnover in the neutral zone, stepped over the blue line and placed a shot up over the blocker of Alpena goaltender Dan Pason. With the tally, Graham moved his team-leading point total to 17.

Alpena’s Mike Degrazia jumped on a Phantoms miscue behind the net and slipped the puck into an open net, making it 2-1 heading into the first intermission.

Miles Winter tied the game at 2-2 midway through the second frame. Winter wristed home his own rebound for his fifth goal of the season.

Backstopped by the goaltending Pellegrino, who came on in relief of Pason after Graham’s goal, the Ice Diggers dominated the third period.

Jerrod Hartman slotted a wrap-around to make it 3-2, shortly before Anderson notched his second goal of the night to close out the scoring.

Pellegrino stopped 32 of 33 shots he faced. Neither team was whistled for a penalty in the entire game.

Alpena (7-5-1) moves into a tie with the Phantoms (7-4-1) for third in the NAHL North division, two points behind Team USA in second place.

Next weekend, the Phantoms go to Traverse City, Mich., to play two against the North Stars. Game time on Friday and Saturday is at 7:05 p.m.