The Phantoms lose first game of the season

After winning its first two games, Mahoning Valley fell to the Outlaws, 4-2.

BLAINE, MINN. — The Mahoning Valley Phantoms dropped their first game of the season Friday, falling 4-2 to the North Iowa Outlaws at the NAHL Showcase.

Led by returning forward Max Mobley’s two goals and an assist, the Outlaws controlled most facets of the game from start to finish.

North Iowa’s Brooks Dezellar opened the scoring halfway through the first period. Dezellar picked up a loose puck at the top of the crease and slipped it past Phantoms goaltender Jordan Tibbett to give the Outlaws a 1-0 lead.

Tibbett then withstood a barrage of shots, 20 of them in fact, keeping the Phantoms in the game until they could answer.

Mahoning Valley tied it up at 1-1 just before the first intermission, as Derek Graham one-timed a feed from Brent Dexter and deposited it behind Outlaws goaltender Robby Moss. The goal was Graham’s third of the season.

From there, it was all Outlaws. Joseph Harcharlik and Mobley, North Iowa’s top two returning scorers, notched a goal apiece in the second period, sparking the Outlaws out to a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes of play.

Mobley picked up his second goal of the game, and third of the year, just 3:49 into the third period pushing the lead to 4-1.

Phantoms rookie forward Scott Moser closed out the scoring and continued his stellar start to the season, picking up his fourth goal of the year on a pass from Graham with just over eight minutes to play.

Despite picking up the loss, Tibbett stopped 41 of 45 shots against in his first action of the regular season. Mahoning Valley went 0 for 8 on the power play.

The Phantoms (2-1) play the Topeka Roadrunners today at 1 p.m. in their final game at the Showcase.