Phantoms hope the new year means some victories

Photo by: Rami Daud

The Vindicator (Youngstown)

Photo

Mike Ambrosia of the Phantoms races Jarrod Rabey of the Indiana Ice to the puck.

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Despite being eight games below .500, the Youngstown Phantoms’ postseason hopes are alive and kicking.

Earning a playoff game at home, however, is going to require a substantial turnaround.

The Phantoms (9-17-1, 19 points) went 1-7 in December and are looking for their first victory since Dec. 4 when they defeated Team USA, 4-3, at the Covelli Centre.

This weekend, they’ll have two chances on their home rink to snap their seven-game losing streak: Tonight against the Sioux City Musketeers and Saturday against the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Both games will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Covelli Centre.

Seven consecutive defeats have knocked the Phantoms into a seventh-place tie with the Chicago Steel in the USHL’s eight-team Eastern Conference.

But they are only one-point behind sixth-place Team USA and two points behind the Waterloo Blackhawks.

This season, the top six finishers in each conference make the postseason. However, only the top four teams will host playoff games.

The first- and second-place teams will receive first-round playoff byes.

The third- and fourth-place teams will be play the fifth- and sixth-place squads in a best-of-three series. All of those games will be played at the home arenas of the third- and fourth-place finishers.

The Phantoms trail the fourth-place Lumberjacks by 11 points and need to begin making up ground if they want to earn playoff games for the Covelli.

Phantoms coach Curtis Carr says his players haven’t quit during this rough stretch.

“The character of the young men in our locker room is unbelievable,” Carr said. “I have never questioned their ability to compete.” Phantoms forward Mike Ambrosia carries a four-game scoring streak into the weekend. He scored in all three of the Phantoms’ losses last week and has two goals and four assists in the past four games.

Forward Jiri Sekac scored two points while linemate Ty Loney has a goal in each of past two games.

“I could not more proud of how they keep themselves in every game no matter the score,” Carr said.

Tonight’s game will be the second matchup of the season between the Musketeers (15-10-2, 32 points) and the Phantoms. On Nov. 7, the Musketeers won, 5-2.

The Phantoms and Lumberjacks split their first two games against each other, both in Michigan and both with 3-2 scores. The Phantoms won on Nov. 28 and lost on Dec. 18.

On Sunday at 3 p.m., the Phantoms will play Team USA in Ann Arbor, Mich. It will be the Phantoms’ second game against the Nationals.