Phantoms seeking an end to losing streak

Photo by: Geoffrey Hauschild

The Vindicator (Youngstown)

Photo

Youngstown Phantom, Quinn Smith, raises his stick in celebration after scoring his team's first goal past Team USA's Matt McNeely during the second period of a game at the Covelli Centre on Saturday afternoon.

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Phantoms are hoping Santa Claus delivered a formula for snapping a four-game losing streak.

Tonight at 7:30, the Phantoms (9-14-1, 19 points) take on the Indiana Ice at the Covelli Centre.

The Phantoms’ last win came on Dec. 4 at home, a 4-3 victory over Team USA capped by Quinn Smith’s goal late in the third period that gave Youngstown its fourth straight win (longest of the season).

The rest of December was not as memorable. First, they dropped a pair of games in Wisconsin to the Green Bay Gamblers (3-2 and 3-1). Then on the weekend before Christmas, the Phantoms lost to two USHL expansion teams: the Dubuque Fighting Saints (4-1) and Muskegon Lumberjacks (3-2).

Last week, the players celebrated Christmas with their families before returning to prepare for the second half of the USHL season.

“This will give some of our guys some much needed rest,” Phantoms assistant coach Anthony Noreen said of the Christmas break. “We as coaches hope that this will also get the guys to realize how much they miss the game and more importantly how much they miss each other.”

The Phantoms and Ice (11-10-2, 24 points) will battle for the third time this season.

Youngstown won the first two games and have outscored the Ice 8-4.

The game will be a a homecoming of sorts for former Phantoms defenseman Brandon Russo as he plays his first game at the Covelli Centre as a visitor. Russo was dealt to Indiana in exchange for forward Alex Gacek earlier this month.

The Ice sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and to make the playoffs the Phantoms must make their way into the top six in the division. The Phantoms trail Indiana by five points.

The homestand will continue on Wednesday when the Des Moines Buccaneers make their second trip of the season to the Covelli Centre.

The Phantoms and Buccaneers have played twice this season, both meetings going into overtime. The first came on the USHL’s opening weekend as the Phantoms defeated the Bucs 3-2 on Oct. 1. The game-winning goal was scored by Jiri Sekac.

The Bucs returned the favor on Oct. 30 at the Covelli Centre with a 3-2 overtime victory.

Those games are the only ones for the Phantoms to extend past regulation,