Hockey team to debut at arena

By John Kovach

The Phantoms are off to their best start in six seasons in the NAHL.

BOARDMAN — The Mahoning Valley Phantoms, off to their best start in six years of existence in the North American Hockey League, will make their official debut at the Chevrolet Center Friday night against the St. Louis Bandits at 7:15 p.m.

The Phantoms will play 21 of their home games at the Chevrolet Centre this season.

Friday’s game will be a rematch of last year’s NAHL Robertson Cup Championships final in Alaska, in which St. Louis bested Mahoning Valley to win its second straight NAHL title. The Phantoms had won nine straight playoff games last year before losing to the Bandits in the championship game May 6 to finish in second place.

Mahoning Valley holds second place in the NAHL North Division with 20 points (9-4-2) behind the Traverse City (Mich.) North Stars with 26 (13-3-0).

The Phantoms and Bandits also will play again Saturday night at the Chevrolet Centre at 7:15.

The Bandits lead the NAHL South division with 33 points (16-2-1).

Also on Saturday, the Youngstown State hockey team will make its Chevrolet Centre debut at 3 p.m. in a regular-season game against John Carroll preceding the Phantoms-Bandits game, said Bruce Zoldan, president of the Phantoms.

Zoldan said fans will be able to see both the YSU and Phantoms’ games Saturday for one ticket priced at $8.50.

Rocky Russo, an assistant coach for the Phantoms, also coaches the YSU team.

Bob Mainhardt, the Phantoms’ only coach in franchise history, said Friday’s game “will be a good test to see if our fans follow us [to the Chevrolet Centre] and if the game will attract other fans,” including those who followed the Youngstown SteelHounds who are not playing this season. “I hope the fans give us a chance to show them our skill level.”

The coach doesn’t know how many fans the Phantoms will attracty but he is hopeful of a big turnout.

“Our average attendance was around 450 last year [at the Ice Zone,” said Mainhardt. But, “We had about 580 fans for a bigger game. Our biggest crowd at the Ice Zone last year was 1,100 a couple of times.”

The Phantoms lost two of three games last week, but both setbacks were by one point.

They lost at Traverse City (Mich.), 5-4, in overtime two Sundays ago and then split two games at the Motor City Machine later in the week, losing 3-2 on Friday and winning 4-1 on Saturday.

Mainhardt said defense has been the key to the Phantoms’ uncommon early success.

“It is our best start of the season. We usually are a team that tends to peak a little later, [but] we are on track a little sooner,” said Mainhardt.

“The biggest reason is we have a veteran group of defensemen [Robert Harrison, Carl Nielsen, Cullen Lundholm and John Houston] and goaltenders. This is the first year we have been able to return both goaltenders [Garrett Bartus and Jordan Tibbett].”

Mainhardt said Harrison, Nielsen, Lundholm and Houston “are our four veteran defenseman, and they have been able to stabilize things on the blue line.”

The coach lauded the net play of Bartus and Tibbett.

“We feel that we are we only team operating with two No. 1 goaltenders,” said Mainhardt, noting that Bartus was the regular last year but has been challenged by Tibbett.

“Bartuus led us to the national championship game and Tibbet was the backup. [Tibbett] did a good job last year but came on strong this season and is seeing more playing time. He’s earned every minute of it.”

Tibbett has played in eight games with a 6-2 record, 1.74 GAA, 212 saves and 93.8 save percentage; while Bartus has played in seven games with a 3-2 record, 3.37 GAA, 156 saves and 86.7 save percentage.

The Phantoms also have a multi-player scoring attack with 13 players accounting for six or more points (one point each for a goal and assist).

“We have balanced scoring but we will become much more explosive as the year progresses,” said Mainhardt, crediting Stefan Salituro, Brandon Saad, Chad Ludolhm and Jordy Trottier for being “the spark of the offense. They have scored and created some very important goals for us.”

Overall on offense, “We really have done a great job. We have had a different leader the past four weeks. That balanced attack has been effective and hard for the other team to [focus on] guarding one player.”

Salituro is the Phantoms’ leading scorer with 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists), while Saad and Ludholm are tied for No. 2 with 10 points each on 6 goals and 4 assists and 1 goal and 9 assists, respectively.

The other leading scorers are Trottier (9 on 6 and 3), Erik Higby (9 on 4 and 5) and Cole Schneider (9 on 2 and 7); Doug Clifford (8 on 6 and 2) and Alex Lippincott (8 on 5 and 3), Johnny Meo (7 on 2 and 5), Kyle Verbeek (7 on 2 and 5), Nick Shkreli (7 on 1 and 6), and Robert Harrison (6 on 2 and 4) and John Houston (6 on 1 and 5).

Mainhardt said that Meo is the team captain and an outstanding leader and model player from Chicago in his third season with the team.

“He has been a leader by example and is the hardhest worker I have ever coached,” said Mainhardt.

“He comes out every day. He is versatile and can do everything.”

kovach@vindy.com