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Phantoms frustrated by loss and fall back in playoff race
By TOm Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
Desperation has embraced the Youngstown Phantoms after another game of tough bounces has them trailing in the race for the final playoff berth in USHL’s Eastern Conference.
Three times, the Phantoms struck the the goalposts and crossbar behind Team USA goaltender Jared Rutledge in a 1-0 loss on Friday night before a boisterous crowd at the Covelli Centre.
“Frustrated,” Phantoms coach Curtis Carr said after the Phantoms were blanked for the fourth time this season. “We didn’t bear down, we hit three posts but we still had opportunities.”
The Phantoms’ loss, combined with Waterloo’s 2-1 win over Cedar Rapids, knocked Youngstown into seventh place.
With five games to go in the regular season, the Phantoms (21-29-5, 47 points) are two points behind Waterloo (21-28-7, 49 points) but have an extra game to play. The Phantoms also own the tiebreaker if they finish tied with the Black Hawks.
“We played well but I’m sure not we played with that sense of urgency that we needed, especially in that last period,” Carr said.
The Phantoms trailed most of the night as the Nationals scored a little more than two minutes into the game. Frankie Vatrano took advantage of a Phantoms giveaway and took a quick shot at goaltender Jordan Tibbett.
The rebound went to Cameron Darcy perched at the other side of the net and he quickly sent the puck past the offbalance goaltender.
The Phantoms outshot the Nationals, 31-18, but went 0-for-7 on the power play, including a 27-second two-man advantage that bridged the second and third periods.
Today, the Phantoms begin a three-game road trip hoping to snap a five-game losing streak.
“These losses are tough, but hopefully we can respond,” Carr said.
After a rematch tonight with Team USA in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Phantoms will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, for Tuesday’s game. On Wednesday, the Phantoms will play the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders before coming home for games against Indiana on April 8 and Chicago on April 9.
“We’re going to get as much rest as we can to prepare for a long week,” Carr said.
In the second period, Danny Mattson’s shot came oh-so-close to tying the game as the puck hit the goalpost then deflected through the goal crease behind Rutledge and out the other side.
Mike Ambrosia also found metal in the final seconds of the second period. With the Phantoms on the power play, Tibbett alertly sent a long pass to Ty Loney at the Nationals’ blue line.
Loney chipped the puck to Ambrosia whose shot hit the crossbar. Nationals defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was penalized for slashing on the play.
“Tibbett threw it up to Loney and then the puck was dribbling on end,” Ambrosia said. “I think I got it all as he was slashing me but it didn’t really affect the play. I think it hit the crossbar, it was close.”