Phantoms fall again, 5-2, trail NAHL series by 2-0

Game 3 against the St. Louis Bandits will be Wednesday at the Ice Zone at 7:15 p.m.

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — Ben Miller scored two goals and the St. Louis Bandits got off to a fast start, defeating the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, 5-2, in Game 2 of their NAHL Northern Conference championship playoff series Saturday night at the Summit Ice Arena.

The Bandits lead the best-of-5 series, 2 games to none, with Game 3 scheduled for Wednesday at the Ice Zone in Boardman at 7:15 p.m.

Jon Madden and Alden Hirschfeld scored goals for the Phantoms. Hirschfeld also had an assist, as did Derek Graham and Robert Harrison.

But the Phantoms went 0-for-6 on power plays and were outshot, 38-30. Mahoning Valley was outscored 9-3 in the first two games of the series.

Mike Hull got St. Louis off to a fast start, scoring a short-handed goal just 4 minutes, 5 seconds into Saturday’s game.

Miller added the first of his two goals with 11:35 remaining in the first period, and the Phantoms were staring at a 2-0 deficit.

Madden’s goal sliced the Phantoms’ margin in half with 8:33 remaining in the first period, but Miller scored again with 13:07 to go in the second period, restoring St. Louis’ two-goal edge.

Hirschfeld answered with 11:27 remaining in the second period to make it 3-2, but the Bandits’ Mike Merrifield scored a short-handed goal with 6:08 to go in the period, making it 4-2 at the second intermission.

Patrick McFadden closed the scoring for the Bandits with an empty net goal with 1:04 remaining in the game.

St. Louis was 0-for-5 on the power play but scored three short-handed goals.

Jordan Tibbett had 33 saves in net for the Phantoms.

Both teams were whistled for seven penalties, but the Phantoms spent 22 minutes in the penalty box to 14 minutes for St. Louis.