Belonger’s shootout goal lifts Phantoms past USA

By JON MOFFETT

jmoffett@vindy.com

Youngstown

Ryan Belonger wasn’t thinking about scoring the game-winning goal as he ate his breakfast of water and a banana Friday morning.

In fact, he really wasn’t thinking about scoring the game-winning goal as he made his approach to the net. If he had thought about it, Belonger may have missed the goal that gave his Phantoms a 3-2 win over Team USA in the final round of the shootout. So Belonger didn’t think. He just shot the puck, and saved the day.

Belonger knew once Phantoms goalie Jordan Tibbett stopped Team USA’s fifth and final attempt of the shootout that a goal would put the game on ice. And his shot sailed past goalie Collin Olson. It was Belonger’s second game-winning goal in a shootout in his last two tries.

“I was right there, right in the goal mouth and I just backhanded it in. I knew right from there I scored,” Belonger said. “Then I just went and celebrated with my team.

Tibbett saved 38 of the 40 shots he saw and smothered Brendan Silk’s critical fifth shot in the shootout, tying the extra series at two. Forward Belonger netted the game-winner and was promptly smothered by his teammates.

Belonger said he was more than happy to score the goal. The post-game pileup? Not so much.

“It’s fun at first,” Belonger said with an unrelated fat lip. “And then it just gets kind of annoying because everybody is hanging on you and not letting you go. I just have to tell the guys to get off.”

Also scoring in the shootout for the Phantoms (17-24-4, 38 points) were center Cody Strang and forward Ty Loney. Scoring in regulation were forward Jiri Sekac and Loney.

Team USA got goals out of defenseman Patrick Sieloff in the first period and Silk in the second. Sekac tied the game up early in the second on a power play, and Loney tied the game with 5:21 to go. Strang and Loney assisted on Sekac’s goal, and Strang got a second assist, and Chris Bradley his first, on Loney’s goal.

Head coach Curtis Carr said games like Friday’s against Team USA (20-16-4, 44 points) would make him pull his hair out — that is, if he had any.

“I felt our team played exceptionally well tonight and I thought we had a ton of opportunities. We deserved to win the game, so I’m glad we did in the shootout. But our Achilles Heel all year had been we haven’t been able to capitalize on our opportunities.”

Case in point, Strang had a shot on goal with a clear net. But his stick broke just before he shot.

“If it weren’t for bad luck, we wouldn’t have any,” Carr joked.