Phantoms meet their Waterloo

Despite 33 shots on goal, Youngstown struggled to score in a 3-1 home loss.

By TOM WILLIAMS

Vindicator sports staff

YOUNGSTOWN — Desperate for goals and standings points, the Youngstown Phantoms were unable to take advantage of Friday’s opportunity that had them tied with the Waterloo Black Hawks midway through the third period.

Despite 33 shots on Waterloo goalie C.J. Motte, the Phantoms were limited to Taylor Holstrom’s second-period goal in a 3-1 loss at the Covelli Centre that has the Phantoms eight points out of a playoff berth.

Derek Arnold’s tap-in goal past Phantoms goalie Jordan Tibbett with 9:57 remaining was Waterloo’s game-winner.

With about 80 seconds remaining, Tibbett was pulled for a sixth skater. After several close calls around Motte, the puck left the Black Hawks’ zone and Arnold converted an empty-net goal.

“We’re just having a hard time finding the net,” Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt said after his squad dropped its fourth-straight at home and 11th in the past 12 games. “On most of our best opportunities, we missed the net.”

On the season, the Phantoms have been outscored, 162-120.

Black Hawks goalie C.J. Motte (13-11-0) was busy, stopping all but one shot.

“Both teams were battling pretty hard,” Holstrom said, “I think it’s been a while since we came out and played all three periods like we can. Sometimes in hockey, you get the bounces you want and sometimes you don’t.

“Their goalie was pretty hot tonight,” Holstrom said, “We couldn’t get anything by him.”

The Black Hawks are 9-3-1 in their past 13 contests.

Halfway through the third period, Arnold and J.T. Brown broke in on Tibbett and capitalized. Brown sent the puck into the slot where Arnold tapped it into the net for a 2-1 lead.

The goaltenders dominated the scoreless first period, with Tibbett stopping 10 shots and Motte blocking nine. Both teams had two power-play opportunities.

Midway through the second period, Holstrom’s 11th goal of the season snapped a scoreless tie. Jiri Sekac got the assist.

“Jiri got the puck behind the net, stepped out and passed it to me. I one-timed it [past Motte]” for the Phantoms’ 1-0 lead.

Moments later, the Phantoms were on a power play after Patrick Divjak was whistled off the ice for slashing. But that advantage did not last for two minutes as Phantoms defenseman Andrej Suster was sent off for tripping. Joining him in the penalty box 76 seconds later was defender Luke Eibler (crosschecking).

The Black Hawks managed one shot on Tibbett during their 44-second two-man advantage but the Phantoms’ penalty-killing fortunes expired before Eibler could get back on the ice. Hawks forward Tyler Barnes slipped the puck past Tibbett for a 1-1 tie.

“I thought we worked hard in the corners down low,” Holstrom said, “We were battling for the puck. We did a lot of the right things ... a bounce here or there cost us the game.”

Mainhardt wasn’t unhappy with the effort, saying said the Phantoms “generated enough opportunities, but we had a hard time burying them.

“[Motte] played very well, but I thought we needed to be much hungrier around the net and get second opportunities. You’ve got to get some ugly goals when things aren’t going your way. We had a hard time getting to the net tonight.”

The teams will meet again today at the Covelli Centre. Faceoff is set for 7:15 p.m.

williams@vindy.com