Phantoms’ chip-in goal keys 6-5 overtime win

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Playing their closest geographic rival in the USHL, the Youngstown Phantoms fittingly came out on top in another tight affair.

Brian Dowd’s chip-in goal with 50 seconds to go in overtime was the difference as the Phantoms emerged victorious 6-5 over the U.S. National Team’s Under-17 squad Friday night at the Ice Cube. Youngstown (11-9-2, 24 points) is now 6-2-2 in games decided by one goal.

Scott Mayfield’s left wing wrister was deflected by Taylor Holstrom, throwing Team USA replacement goalie Matt McNeely off the scent and giving Dowd an open net to shoot at. Andrew Lamont’s late second-period marker had given the Phantoms a 5-4 edge heading for the third, but the Red, White and Blue’s Rocco Grimaldi fired a power-play slap shot past Matt Mahalak (6-5-2) to tie the game with under five minutes to go in regulation.

The first period featured quality chances for both sides, but Team USA escaped with a 2-1 lead on the strength of a pair of goals from East Palestine, Ohio’s own J.T. Miller. Benefiting from a Dan Carlson lead pass, Miller glided in on left wing and popped a wrister off the right post and in for a 1-0 lead 2:56 into the contest.

His second goal was a one-timed slapper from the right boards that found its way past Phantoms goalie Matt Mahalak with the Red, White and Blue on their second power play of the period. It came at 10:10 and gave the home side a 2-0 edge with the primary assist given to Robbie Russo.

Youngstown was shorthanded five times in the opening frame, but defenseman Ben Paulides made the most of it when he rifled a one-timer under goaltender John Gibson to complete a three-on-two rush. Jefferson Dahl found Paulides trailing, who made no mistake in potting his first USHL goal at 13:55.

The Team USA power play continued to generate excitement in the second period, as Blake Pietila netted a man-advantage marker at 1:10, but the Phantoms soon followed with their second shorthanded goal of the game courtesy of Cody Strang.

Strang, in his third game back after missing nearly a month due to injury, netted his first tally in the USHL with a powerful burst around the defense and a quick deke to the forehand. That made it 3-2 just 36 seconds after Pietila’s goal, with assists to Scott Mayfield and Dahl.

Dahl would strike with his sixth goal when Andrej Sustr set him up in the slot at 3:54 to tie the score, then defenseman Luke Eibler pushed the Phantoms on top for the first time at 7:17 with a mirror image of Strang’s earlier goal.

Team USA’s Reid Boucher tied it up again with exactly five minutes to play in the second off Rocco Grimaldi’s assist to complete a quick two-on-one break, but once again Youngstown would respond. Andrew Lamont, appearing to try to find Dahl in the slot, banked the go-ahead goal off Gibson’s backside and into the twine to give the visitors a 5-4 lead heading into the third.