Phantoms still in first despite loss in overtime

Mahoning Valley closes round-robin play today against the defending champions.

STAFF REPORT

MASON CITY, Iowa — Unable to hold on to a four-goal lead before losing in overtime, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms remain atop the North American Hockey League’s Robertson Cup Tournament standings.

But with one game remaining in their round-robin schedule, the Phantoms need a win today to assure themselves a berth in Sunday’s championship game.

The Phantoms’ opponent will be their arch-nemisis, the two-time defending champion St. Louis Bandits.

Thursday against the Wenatchee Wild, the Phantoms jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second period. The Wild, coached by former Pittsburgh Penguin tough guy Paul Baxter, rallied, scoring twice in each of the second and third periods to force sudden-death overtime.

Just 55 seconds into the extra session, D.J. Vandercook completed his hat trick. Vandercook took a pass from Nic Dowd and chopped a backhander past Phantoms goaltender Jordan Tibbett, who finished with 33 saves in dropping to 2-0-1 in Robertson Cup play.

Midway through the game at the North Iowa Ice Arena, overtime seemed anything but a possibility.

Goals by Brandon Saad and Alex Lippincott within 69 seconds gave the Phantoms a 2-0 lead late in the first period.

Saad took a Carl Nielsen pass into the Wenatchee zone and rocketed a wrist shot over the blocker of starting goalie Mac Carruth for a 1-0 lead.

Lippincott then redirected Josh Bussell’s centering feed past Carruth.

The lead grew to three early in the second period when George Saad poked a Cole Schneider rebound past Carruth, prompting Baxter to lift him for Mathieu Dugas.

About two minutes later, Michael Pateras beat Dugas on the first shot he faced, ripping a transition wrister over the goalie’s blocker for a 4-0 advantage.

Dugas stopped the next 18 shots he faced to pick up his first win at the Robertson Cup and give Wenatchee a 2-1-0 record (4 points).

The Phantoms’ record is 2-0-1, 5 points. St. Louis is 2-0-0, 4 points after Thursday’s 5-2 win over Bismarck.

With about eight minutes remaining in the second period, Mitch Torrel scooped a Junior Cadiz rebound past Tibbett to get the Wild on the scoreboard.

Then with 67 seconds remaining before the second break, Vandercook scored his first goal on assists from Dowd and Michael Voran to slice the Phantoms’ lead to 4-2.

Vandercook struck again just 33 seconds into the third period, firing past Tibbett in traffic.

Four minutes later, on Wenatchee’s second power play, Brandon Burrell slapped the puck under a screened-out Tibbett to tie the game.

Late in the third period, Phantom forward Nick Kenney appeared to restore the Phantoms’ lead. On the power play, Kenney knocked a rebound over Dugas, head official Dan Dreger ruled that the net had come dislodged before the puck crossed the line.