Hohmann’s goals too much for Phantoms

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Boosted by a pair of favorable bounces in the first period, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders rode an early lead — and two goals from Cason Hohmann — to a 6-1 win over the visiting Youngstown Phantoms on Friday at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

Zach Lehrke, the RoughRiders’ leading scorer, added a goal and two assists to support goalie Cody Campbell’s 28 saves in his second win over the Phantoms in three tries.

Cedar Rapids (29-15-3, 61 points), in second place in the East Division, extended its unbeaten streak to 13 games (12-0-1).

Adam Berkle netted a second-period goal, his 10th, to end Youngstown’s seven-game power-play drought.

The Phantoms (15-30-2, 32 points) received 32 saves from Matt Mahalak in his second-straight start, but fell on the first night of a season-high five-game road trip.

The Phantoms got off to a tough start when Hohmann’s low shot was blocked but caromed into the net off a Youngstown skate at 2:40 of the first.

Lehrke’s power-play goal from the left circle, the first of three on the night for Cedar Rapids, also ticked off a Phantom before drifting into the cage for a 2-0 lead four minutes later.

Lehrke helped the RoughRiders pile on at 11:07, finding Jeff Costello for his team-leading 25th from the top lip of the crease at even strength.

On their third power play of the game early in the second, the Phantoms connected to break the ice after sustained offensive zone pressure.

Tom Serratore’s point blast was kicked out by Campbell, but directly to Berkle who made no mistake in burying the puck under the crossbar from the right circle to cut the lead to 3-1 at 6:48.

Hohmann struck right back with his second of the night on a similar play, as he converted a rebound by just barely skidding it through a Phantoms stick a little more than a minute later, restoring the home side’s three-goal edge.

Third-period tallies by Thomas Fallen (power play) and David Boehm pushed the lead to five before the final buzzer.