Phantoms finish 1-1-1 against Traverse City

Mahoning Valley led early in the second period before the North Stars scored.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The Mahoning Valley Phantoms finished another three game series 1-1-1 after falling to the Traverse City North Stars, 4-2, Sunday afternoon.

The Phantoms led 2-0 early in the second period but the North Stars scored four unanswered goals to capture the win.

David Johnstone got Traverse City on the board, scoring on a 2-on-1 from Kyle Bonis with 13 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the second period, cutting the Phantoms’ lead to 2-1.

Mahoning Valley held that lead into the third period, but just 25 seconds into the final period, the North Stars struck again as Josh Miller fired a Bonis rebound past Phantoms goaltender Jordan Tibbett to tie the game at 2.

Seven minutes later, Kyle Jean scored on a centering feed from Eric McClintock to give the North Stars the lead for good, and Jean capped off the scoring with 1:03 remaining, batting a loose puck into an empty Phantoms net.

The game turned ugly after Jean’s second marker, as the teams combined for 62 penalty minutes in the final 1:03, including three different game misconduct penalties to both teams.

The Phantoms struck first in the contest as Nick Shkreli notched his third goal of the weekend, swatting Nick Kenny’s feed past North Stars goalie C.J. Motte with 8:08 remaining in the first period.

The goal, Shkreli’s eighth of the season, moved him into the team lead with 22 points.

Johnny Meo built the Phantoms’ lead to 2-0 two minutes into the second period when he beat Motte under his glove on an up-ice rush with Alex Lippincott.

Tibbett made 23 saves for Mahoning Valley while incurring only his fourth regulation loss of the season (14-4-1). The win pulled the North Stars (18-7-5, 41 points) to within two points of the Phantoms (20-8-3, 43 points) for first place in the North Division of the North American Hockey League.

The Phantoms continue divisional play Friday and Saturday when they play host to the Motor City Machine. Both games begin at 7:15 p.m. at the Chevrolet Centre.