Gamblers trump Phantoms

Special to The Vindicator

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Adam Berkle netted a pair of even-strength goals, but the Green Bay Gamblers’ special teams were exactly that as the USHL’s best team trumped the Youngstown Phantoms 5-3 Sunday afternoon at the Resch Center.

The Phantoms (16-31-2, 34 points) outscored Green Bay 3-1 during five-on-five play, but the East Division-leading Gamblers (36-8-4, 76 points) registered three power-play goals and another while shorthanded.

Youngstown went 1-2-0 on its three-game weekend swing through the upper Midwest.

Robert Francis and defenseman Nick Jensen led the way for the home side with a goal and an assist each; goalie Ryan McKay stopped 19 of 22 shots to beat the Phantoms for the third time this season.

Stuart Higgins potted an early goal to put the visitors up after 20 minutes, but the Gamblers answered back with five of the next six scores against Matt Mahalak, who made 26 saves in his third start in four games.

Higgins tapped in a loose puck at the left post for the 1-0 lead. Defenseman Andrej Sustr tossed a wrister through traffic that was tipped by Tom Serratore to the side of the net for a waiting Higgins, who picked up his fifth.

After Green Bay took a 3-1 lead, a burst from Berkle turned the momentum back in Youngstown’s favor, taking a lead pass from Jefferson Dahl, splitting the Green Bay defense and tossing a quick forehand past a sliding McKay to cut the lead to 4-2 at 15:57. The Gamblers and Reed Seckel answered back with 1:15 left in the frame.

Ludwig Karlsson stashed a power-play goal with 2:02 gone in the third, raising the lead to 5-2, but Berkle had another response in his back pocket.

Six minutes later, Nick Czinder controlled the puck behind the Gamblers’ net and swung a backhand pass in front, where Berkle gathered and flipped a backhand of his own under McKay.