Phantoms tasting shootout pressure
HOCKEY
Today’s game
Matchup: Youngstown vs. Sioux Falls
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Covelli Centre.
Radio/Internet: WBBW-AM 1240; AmericaOne.com.
MORE HOCKEY: USHL standings (B2); NHL results (BX).
By Tom Williams
BOARDMAN
Ask hockey fans what they think of a shootout to end a game and you’ll probably see a lot of thumbs up in response.
But ask a hockey player what he thinks and most answer another way.
“I’d rather play on because you can’t really declare a real winner [with a shootout],” said Youngstown Phantoms captain Adam Berkle who scored the game-winning shootout goal in last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Team USA in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Forward Andrew Sinelli, one of the Phantoms’ regulars in shootouts, agreed.
“I’d rather keep playing overtime,” Sinelli said. “I think it’s more hockey, more in the control of everybody in the game rather than it being between two people — the goalie and the shooter.”
Two of the Phantoms’ past three games have been settled by the shootout, a penalty shot competition. On Jan. 9, the Phantoms lost 4-3 to Team USA’s 18-under squad in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Shootouts are used to settle tie games once five minutes of overtime have been played.
Unlike National Hockey League shootouts that begin with three shooters per team, the USHL uses five.
In the Phantoms’ win, six were needed to end the game. John Fritche, Mike Ambrosia, Jiri Sekac and Sinelli were all stopped by Team USA goalie Matt McNeely while Stu Higgins scored.
Rocco Grimaldi was the only Team USA skater to beat Greg Lewis in the shootout.
Anthony Noreen, Phantoms assistant coach, said that Higgins was not one of the five shooters in the Jan. 9 loss. But in the second game against the 17-Under squad, “he was a little more into the game, it was against his old team and we made the decision to put him in there.”
After Lewis stopped Jacob Trouba on the Nationals’ sixth attempt, Berkle asked for the opportunity to end the game. He connected.
Berkle said his mood was “pretty excited — I usually never go on shootouts. I’m not bad in practice but ...
“I feel like in a game it’s a lot easier, I don’t know why,” Berkle said. “Maybe it’s because you’re going against a goalie you don’t know and they don’t know you so it’s a lot easier on you.”
Sinelli says he watches the opposing goalie as well as his teammates while he waits his turn to see “what worked, what didn’t and what the goalie’s tendencies are.”
Berkle leans toward watching the goalie.
“It depends on what they do as well as where the goalie [seems to be] strong,” Berkle said. “But I’d say [I watch] more the goalie.”
Sinelli said he didn’t know he was going fifth until head coach Curtis Carr signaled him moments before.
“Coach just look at me when [Sekac was up] and said I was going,” Sinelli said.
Noreen said the coaching staff makes the decision on shooters based on who’s playing well.
“We have a couple of guys who we know are our go-to shootout guys,” Noreen said. “But when it comes down to it, I think it’s more by feel. Obviously, a lot is just a gut decision.”
The extra point earned has the Phantoms in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
“It was really big for us [to get the second point],” Sinelli said. “It seemed like it boosted our confidence, brought us together a little bit. We took a step in the right direction.”
Entering this weekend’s game, the Phantoms (12-18-2, 26 points) are one point ahead of the Waterloo Black Hawks. The top six teams in each conference for the postseason.
Tonight, the Phantoms are at home at the Covelli Centre to face the Sioux Falls Stampede (17-10-4, 38 points). Saturday, the Black Hawks (11-16-3, 25 points) make their first visit of the season to Youngstown.
“Every game is big now,” Sinelli said. “We need to start winning and a division game is basically a four-point swing, so we need to get two points against both of these [opponents] this weekend.”