Friday, November 19, 2010
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
When the Youngstown Phantoms skate on to the Covelli Centre ice tonight for their first home game in three weekends, Ty Loney and Scott Mayfield will be noticeably present.
Loney (four goals, four assists) has recovered from a groin injury that has caused him to miss six games. He returned to the ice last Saturday in a 6-3 win over the Indiana Ice in Indianapolis, setting up three goals.
“It’s great to get Ty [Loney] back,” Phantoms coach Curtis Carr said after the Phantoms snapped an eight-game losing streak. “He is a big part of our team offensively, but he is even bigger in the locker room.
“He is a great character guy and for him to pick up three points was big,” Carr said.
Forwards Stuart Higgins and Ryan Belonger agreed.
“Ty Loney is a great kid to have in the locker room, he’s always upbeat,” Higgins said.
Belonger added, “We needed Loney back in the lineup. He’s definitely a go-to-guy, he finds the net well.”
Mayfield has returned after being away for two weekends to play with Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge Tournament. Despite recording just one assist, Mayfield was voted tournament MVP after Team USA defeated Team Canada, 6-4, to win a third straight championship.
“Scott Mayfield is one of the top players in the nation right now, so getting him [back] will do wonders for our confidence on the ice,” Higgins said.
Carr wasn’t surprised that Mayfield, who’s getting attention from NHL scouts, did well.
“I am surprised that he got the MVP with only having one point,” Carr said after Team USA outscored its opponents, 22-7. “I think that shows the level that he must have played at defensively.
“Usually they look for MVPs from forwards or goalies who had good numbers,” Carr said. “To see a defenseman win it with only one assist, I think that says a lot about the level Scott’s been playing at.”
This weekend, the Phantoms (5-8-1, 11 points) are looking for their first win at home since their Oct. 16 opener. Tonight, they’ll play the Omaha Lancers (6-4-1, 13 points). Saturday’s opponent will be the surprising expansion Dubuque Fighting Saints (9-3-1, 19 points).
The Phantoms are healthier than they’ve been in weeks and Higgins is happy for the full bench.
“It means we have four solid lines,” Higgins said. “It was kind of a struggle.
“Playing that much [extra], you start to lose your legs [in] the third period against teams that might have a few more lines,” he added. “Those injuries hurt us but I think we’re going to be pretty strong going forward.”
Goaltender Matt O’Connor will start both games. Serving as backup will be Sean Romeo, who is visiting from Raleigh, N.C.
“We feel he’s going to be an elite-level goaltender,” Carr said. “We just wanted to get him experience with the level of play of our league. He’s someone were looking to more for the future.”
Romeo will be around for five more games, then Greg Lewis, who was acquired recently from Amarillo of the NAHL, will serve as O’Connor’s backup.