Phantoms hope to snap their skid against Nationals

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Trying to jump back into playoff position, the Youngstown Phantoms welcome the U.S. National Team tonight to the Covelli Centre for the first of a two-game series.

Tonight’s USHL game features Team USA’s Under-18 unit, which stopped the Phantoms 9-3 in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Dec. 19. That game produced the Phantoms’ largest margin of defeat in their inaugural USHL season.

Team USA’s Under-18 squad features Brandon Saad, who was a Mahoning Valley Phantom last season and the North American Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year.

Despite being winless since Dec. 29, the Phantoms (13-16-2, 28 points) are tied for fifth place in the East Division with Waterloo and remain two points behind fourth-place Chicago.

The top four teams in each division qualify for the USHL playoffs.

The Phantoms are coming off last weekend’s two home losses to Fargo.

Andrew Lamont’s two goals kept Youngstown close to Fargo in last Saturday’s 3-2 loss, the Phantoms’ fifth-straight defeat.

One of two squads that compete as Team USA (9-18-3, 21 points/seventhth in East), the Under-18s (7-5-1) have acquitted themselves quite well in USHL competition compared to their younger counterparts, the Under-17s (2-13-2).

The older group’s previous contest didn’t go as planned, as Team USA was edged 3-1 on the road on Jan. 8 in Green Bay, Wis. Austin Czarnik’s second-period goal provided the only tally at the Resch Center against the East’s top team.

When the Phantoms host Team USA on Monday at 6:30 p.m., the Under-17 unit will take the ice. That squad includes East Palestine native J.T. Miller.