Phantoms’ skid grows with overtime defeat
YOUNGSTOWN
Coach Curtis Carr wasn’t happy with the officiating and his Youngstown Phantoms weren’t happy with the outcome as the USHL team lost to Des Moines, 3-2, in overtime.
It was the fifth straight loss for the Phantoms (4-5-1), while the Buccaneers (3-1-2) gained a little respectability despite being near the bottom in the Western Division standings.
“I thought we played really well, but it’s hard to win games when the officiating is like that,” Carr said. “I know the league is not going to want to hear that, but that’s just the way it is.
“Plain and simple, they were awful tonight.”
Youngstown was ahead, 2-1, then gave up a quick goal in the third period and again in the extra session.
Quinn Smith and Brandon Russo scored for Youngstown.
Cal Decowski had the game-winner just 0:52 into the overtime.
“To me, the turning point was us responding to their third-period start,” Des Moines coach Regg Simon said of Doug Clifford’s goal that answered Russo’s tally that had the Phantoms on top for the only time, 2-1.
“If he doesn’t score, I’m not sure where the game goes from that point on.” Simon said. “I don’t think either team’s coach was pleased with his special teams [power play] because they both struggled a little bit.”
Carr said he liked the effort on his team’s part, but thinks the team has to “get a few bounces and continue to play the way we played tonight” to turn around the losing skein.
Des Moines scored at 6:48 of the first period following a face-off to the right of Youngstown’s goalie.
Justin Selman took the face-off release and found Kevin Irwin in front of the goal to zip it by Matthew O’Connor.
Youngstown had a final chance to score as the first period closed when Scott Mayfield fed Nilan Nagy as Nagy approached the goal. His shot, however, was stopped by Buccaneers goalie Michael Shibrowski.
Cody Strang was busy on offense, while Russo has some nice moments, defensively.
An interesting development occurred early in the second period when Phantoms’ Dylan Margonari crashed into the goal when the force of his momentum moved the goal off of its foundation.
His body, along with a pile of others, landed on top Shibrowski, who needed an equipment adjustment after the incident.
A flurry of near-goals constituted a spurt late in the second period when Mayfield and Stuart Higgins had chances, followed Quinn Smith’s breakaway that was repelled by Shibrowski.
Youngstown tied the game, 1-1, at 18:40 in the second period when Jiri Sekac fed Quinn Smith with a cross that flashed past a helpless Shibrowski.
Irwin had a point-blank shot rejected by O’Connor, but then, a minute later, Russo, fresh from the penalty box for blocking, scored to put Youngstown ahead, 2-1, in the third period.
Just seconds after the center circle drop, Clifford scored on an assist from Cal Decowski to knot the score, 2-2.
Smith and Des Moines’ Connor Kucera got into a scuffle with less than seven minutes to go in front of the Buccaneers’ goal. Smith had Kucera pinned down. They both had to sit for cross-checking and roughing.