Lincoln rallies for win in shootout

By Greg Gulas

The Phantoms had a two-goal lead slip away late in regulation.

YOUNGSTOWN — John McCarron’s goal in the shootout and two goals and an assist by Brodie Reid helped lift the Lincoln Stars to a 5-4, come-from-behind victory over the Youngstown Phantoms in a USHL game Friday at the Covelli Centre.

Down 4-2 late in the third period, Reid pulled the Stars to within a goal when he buried his second goal of the game at 17:22 and when Ben Lynch’s wrister shot past the outstretched glove of Phantoms goalie Matt Mahalak with 12 ticks remaining, he knotted the game at 4-all to force the extra session.

Neither team was able to penetrate the pipes in the five-minute overtime period, thus forcing a first-ever shootout for the Phantoms as members of the USHL.

Andrej Sustr scored first for the Phantoms, only to be answered by the Stars’ Dominik Shine.

With one shot remaining, McCarron’s shot registered while the Phantoms’ Brian Dowd’s was kicked away by Lincoln goalie Matt Green to secure the victory.

“I watched all of our guys shoot before me, hoping to pick something up if my name was called. Coach [Jim McGroarty] then called my name and as I approached the net, I saw that their goalie [Mahalak] cheated to the glove side, giving me a lot of the net so I was able to bury my shot,” McCarron said.

Reid, who had a goal and an assist against the Phantoms in their only other meeting on Oct. 16, a 7-6 overtime win for the Stars, is just happy his team is finally coming together.

”We started the year with a lot of injuries, including myself, and while we still have two players out, we play a lot differently when everyone is healthy,” said Reid.

“This was a total team effort tonight; the kind of win that can turn a season around for a team. You cannot play just 50 minutes in this league because the 10 minutes that you take off can be very costly.

“We finally skated a full game tonight and that is a really great feeling,” Reid noted.

Reid’s first goal of the game, an unassisted tally at 5:55 of the opening period, staked the Stars to the early goal advantage heading to the first intermission.

The goal was also a short-handed tally, just the second of the season for Lincoln (7-12-0, 14 points) and their second in as many games after being denied a short-handed score in their first 18 outings.

Luke Eibler’s unassisted goal just 37 seconds into the second stanza knotted the score at 1-all and when Nick Czinder found the back of the Lincoln net at 4:31, the Phantoms (8-7-2, 18 points) forged a 2-1 lead.

Dowd’s power play goal at 10:38 helped Youngstown build a 3-1 margin but Lincoln’s Cory Hibbeler buried his seventh goal of the season at 18:52 to cut the Phantoms lead to 3-2.

Eibler’s second goal of the game at 16:04 of the final frame then gave the Phantoms a 4-2 lead, only to see that margin dissipate when Reid and Lynch worked their offensive magic in the final 2:38.

“We didn’t win a shootout last season and this was our first shootout this season so yes, this really feels good right now. Give Youngstown credit because they just kept coming at us. They’re a very good hockey team and no doubt one of the most physical teams in the entire league.

“In this league you need to play all 60 minutes and that is exactly what we did tonight,” McGroarty said.

Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt wasn’t pleased that his team let one slip away, especially at home.

“We still have guys that refuse to buy into the system and continuously give up games.

“We are a selfish group that thinks when they get up two goals; it’s time to put up personal stats in order to get to the next level.

“I have never had a group like this. Veterans hurt us tonight and cost us the game. Matt [Mahalak] played a heckuva game. He’s the youngest yet plays like the oldest. Luke [Eibler] also gave it all that he had as well,” Mainhardt said.

The Stars held a 33-21 shot advantage, outshooting the Phantoms 19-3 in the critical third period of play.