Phantoms get help in the net

November 5, 2010 at 12:10a.m.

By TOM WILLIAMS

williams@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Once Youngstown Phantoms coach Curtis Carr targeted Matt O’Connor as the team’s top goalie for its second USHL season, things eventually began to clear up in goal.

O’Connor has played in all 10 of the Phantoms’ games and that prompted a change in the hockey team’s backup plans.

Last week, the Phantoms added Greg Lewis to their roster after allowing O’Connor’s backup, Matt Green, to join the St. Louis Bandits of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

The Phantoms’ goalie situation was all shook up in August when last year’s top starter, Jordan Tibbett, accepted a scholarship to Mercyhurst during the second week training camp.

As camp progressed, the Phantoms awarded their second goaltender spot to Green, who had USHL experience last season with the Lincoln Stars.

O’Connor started the Phantoms’ first seven games, winning four of them.

Green’s first start came on Oct. 23 in Dubuque, Iowa, against the expansion Fighting Saints. Green allowed three goals in the first period and was eventually replaced by O’Connor for the third period in the 4-1 loss.

Four days later, Lewis was on the Phantoms’ roster and Green was a Bandit.

“Greg was actually our third goalie coming out of training camp,” Carr said who was playing with the Amarillo Bulls of the NAHL.

Rocky Russo, the Canfield High graduate who once coached the Youngstown State University club hockey team and was a Phantoms volunteer coach, is now with Amarillo, which helped make it easier for Lewis to change teams.

Carr said the Phantoms allowed Lewis to gain experience with the Bulls with a provision that he could rejoin the USHL team if an opening developed.

Carr said that because Green is 20 and has just one final season of USHL eligibility, it’s best he go to the Bandits where he will get miore playing time in a bid to earn a Division I college scholarship.

This weekend, the Phantoms (4-5-1) will try to snap a five-game losing streak by playing their first three-game road set of the season.

The first game is tonight at 8:05 against the Waterloo Black Hawks (4-2-1).

Saturday, the Phantoms will play the Sioux Falls Stampede (6-2-0) at 8:05 p.m. The busy trip will finish on Sunday against the Sioux City Musketeers (6-3-0) at 6 p.m.

Carr said he expects O’Connor to start all three games.

“It’s a pretty big jump from the NAHL to the USHL,” Carr said. “At this point, we’re just trying to get Greg up to speed at this level.”

The Phantoms will be without key players this weekend. Forward Ty Loney continues to recover from an injury and is unlikely to play.

Defenseman Scott Mayfield will be playing with Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge from Monday through Nov. 14 in Penticton, British Columbia.

Another defenseman, Justin Stevens, is recovering from elbow surgery.