Phantoms rally for 4-3 win

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE

Youngstown picks up first victory at Covelli Centre

By GREG GULAS

Vindicator Correspondent

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Phantoms have found it easier to win on the road than at home during the early going of the USHL season.

After their 4-3 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers Thursday at the Covelli Centre, they are hoping that their road success will now rub off and begin a slew of home ice victories from here on out.

Richard Young’s goal with 3:15 remaining helped lift Youngstown to their first home victory of the season; a win that took three games too many to register according to Young but a fulfilling one nonetheless.

Down 2-0 after the first period of play and giving up their second goal of the game with just five seconds remaining until the intermission, Young said coach Bob Mainhardt’s rhetoric at the intermission was straight, very understandable and to the point.

“Coach gave us a wake up call and a challenge at the same time. He told us to go out for the second period, play the type of hockey that we are capable of playing and that would then separate the men from the boys,” said Young.

“He wasn’t happy with our overall performance the first 20 minutes of play and we weren’t either.

“On my goal our playmaker and scorer, Brett Gensler, had the puck and saw me with my eyes big and bright so when he got me the puck, all I had to do was finish the play,” he added.

“It’s a great feeling to finally get the monkey off of our back at home. We just need to make sure that we come and perform while bringing that something special to the table each and every night,” Young said.

The Phantoms and Buccaneers each entered play Thursday night having won two games in a row.

The Buccaneers (4-6-0) won both of their games at home while the Phantoms (5-4-1) were coming off two hard-fought road victories.

Mainhardt, while pleased with the outcome, still longs for that 60-minute, complete game effort.

“We got outworked in the first period; plain and simple,” he said. You can have the greatest game plan in the world but if you do not execute then you aren’t going to win.

“We challenged their work ethic for the first 20 minutes and after that, they just went out and executed exactly how we expected them to,” he added.

“You can count on Des Moines to come out hungrier tomorrow. They are a good team and that will be a challenge for us,” said Mainhardt.

“Finding that 60 minute, all-out effort is still our goal,” he said.

The Buccaneers’ Mike Fink got Des Moines on the board first at 14:20 of the opening period when his wrist shot slipped past the outstretched hand of Phantom goalie Jordan Tibbett.

When Chris Stafne added his wrister with just five seconds remaining in the period, the Buccaneers opened a 2-0 advantage after the first 20 minutes of play.

Three goals within a span of 8:26 in the second stanza then helped the Phantoms forge a 3-2 heading to the final period of play.

The goals were scored by Jefferson Dahl (7:00), Ryan Jasinksy (11:39) and Nick Czinder; the final one by Czinder was an unassisted tally at 15:26 of the period.

Des Moines’ Daniel Heath then knotted the score at 3-all on his power play opportunity at 10:22 of the final period, but Young’s score at 16:45 proved to be the game-winner for the Phantoms; his first game-winning goal of the season.

Ironically, the three goals by the Buccaneers were the first of the season for Fink, Stafne and Heath.

“With a 2-0 lead on the road you just hope you can keep that going and tonight we did not do that,” said Des Moines coach Mike Guentzel.

“We were sloppy out in front of the net and I am willing to bet that all four Phantoms goals were scored within 10 feet of the net,” he added.

“We had moments tonight where I see our progress. I have no issues with our effort Monday thru Thursday. We just need to overcome some issues on game day and we will be a good team,” Guentzel said.

Youngstown held a 35-29 shots on goal advantage including a 30-18 margin over the final two periods of play.

The final game of the two-game set will take place tonight at 7:15 p.m. at the Covelli Centre.