Phantoms improve to 6-0-1 with OT victory

ALPENA, Mich. — Doug Clifford scored his second goal of the game with 2:18 remaining in overtime Friday night to give the Mahoning Valley Phantoms a 4-3 victory over the Alpena Ice Diggers.

The Phantoms also got goals from Jordy Trottier and Ryan Finnegan to improve to 6-0-1 in the North American Hockey League.

Alpena is 3-5-1.

The Phantoms scored the first three goals of the game before Alpena rallied, tying the score with 18:41 remaining in the third period on a power play goal by Sam Cheraso.

Adam Bristol and Erik Peterson also scored for the Ice Diggers, who were outshot, 39-36.

Robert Harrison had a pair of assists for the Phantoms, who play Alpena again tonight at 7. Goalie Jordan Tibbett made 33 saves.

Bristol also had two assists for Alpena.

The Phantoms broke a scoreless tie with 12:41 remaining in the first period on Trottier’s power play goal, on assists by Harrison and Cullen Lundholm. The goal came less than two minutes after Alpena’s Jim McCusker was whistled for a two-minute checking penalty and a 10-minute misconduct.

Finnegan made it 2-0 with 16:14 remaining in the second period on an unassisted tally, then Clifford’s power play goal, on assists by John Houston and Harrison, gave the Phantoms a 3-0 lead with 12:41 remaining.

Bristol and Peterson scored 1:13 apart to close the Ice Diggers’ deficit to 3-2. Both were power play goals.

The Phantoms were whistled for 26 penalty minutes to 40 for Alpena.