Phantoms prep for Round 2 vs. Ice

Youngstown Phantoms 1st Goal

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Joe Zarbo makes the first goal for the new USHL Youngstown Phantoms at the Covelli Centre, Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Phantoms Fight

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Indiana defeated Youngstown in the USHL opener at the Covelli Centre.

VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Fresh off a two-game weekend sweep of the Chicago Steel, the Youngstown Phantoms will play the final tilt of a five-game homestand on Thursday at the Covelli Centre against the second-place Indiana Ice.

Game time is 7:15 p.m.

The Ice and Phantoms have met before.

On Oct. 3 (Opening Night), the defending Clark Cup champion Ice surged past the Phantoms, 6-2, at the Covelli Centre after Youngstown held a 2-0 lead at the first intermission.

Forward Joe Zarbo scored the first goal in Phantoms franchise history. Defenseman Dan Senkbeil earned the assist. Forward Brett Gensler made it 2-0 when he deflected defenseman Andrej Sustr’s point shot past Ice goaltender Casey DeSmith.

In Saturday’s 3-1 win over Chicago, the Phantoms (10-8-2, 22 points, fifth in East Division) tied a season-low for goals allowed and came within 4:36 of delivering goaltender Matt Mahalak his first USHL shutout.

Phantoms forward Brian Dowd recorded an assist on forward Adam Berkle’s game winner to stretch his Phantoms season-best scoring streak to five games, but his reliable offensive play dates further than a handful of contests.

The former Niagara University Purple Eagle has taken it to a new level in his second USHL season, netting at least a point in 11 of his last 13 games (five goals, eight assists during that span).

Another USHL veteran forward on the Phantoms has located his scoring touch, as Tom Serratore has climbed to within five points of forward Taylor Holstrom’s team-leading total of 17.

Serratore went scoreless the first eight games of the season but broke out on Oct. 31 with two goals and an assist at Fargo, N.D., and hasn’t looked back.

Serratore spent the last two seasons as a Sioux City Musketeer.

Saturday in Omaha, Neb., Indiana (12-8-1, 25 points, second in East) completed a three-games-in-three-days gauntlet with an impressive 4-2 triumph against the league-leading Lancers.

Forward Antti Roppo scored the game-winning goal on the power play in the third period and defenseman Justin Agosta added two assists as the Ice put a three-game losing streak to a halt.

Following this matchup with Indiana, Youngstown will arrive at the end of a 12-game stretch during which 10 were at home. The team is 6-4-1 since that span began on Nov. 5, with two of those losses occurring on the road.