Rough ride for Phantoms

March 18, 2011 at 12:08a.m.

Loney’s 2 goals not enough against Cedar Rapids

YOUNGSTOWN

Cedar Rapids’ second-period success left the Youngstown Phantoms green with envy in their 6-3 loss in Thursday’s USHL game at the Covelli Centre.

The green-clad RoughRiders scored three goals including two on the power play to turn a 2-1 deficit into a two-goal lead in the middle frame.

The Phantoms (21-25-5, 47 points) had three close calls in that period. First, Stephen Collins rang a shot off the goalpost to the right of RoughRiders goaltender Brady Hjelle.

Moments later, Hjelle robbed Jiri Sekac with a brilliant glove save on a close shot. Then Collins skated free for a breakaway but shot the puck high over the goal.

“We had opportunities to score but a little inch here and a little inch there ...,” said Ryan Belonger who scored his 17th goal in the first period. “If the puck touches the back of the net, it’s a different game.”

Ty Loney, the Phantoms’ top goal scorer, recorded two more — his 21st and 22nd of the season.

Asked if his Irish heritage played a role on St. Patrick’s Day, Loney smiled.

“I’m about 25 percent Irish, so maybe,” Loney said.

Three minutes into the game, the RoughRiders (34-10-5, 73 points) took a 1-0 lead when Tanner Pond’s shot from the near the boards eluded Phantoms goaltender Jordan Tibbett.

Loney tied the game up a few minutes later. Skating through the slot, Loney deflected a shot by Cody Strang from just inside the faceoff circle to Hjelle’s right.

With three minutes to go in the opening period, Belonger was at the side of the RoughRiders’ net when he hit the puck out of the air past Hjelle for a 2-1 lead.

“[Linemate Danny] Mattson moved the puck up to Jiri and we’re on a two-on-one,” Belonger said. “I wasn’t really a good passing option so I just drove to the net to get the D to follow me.

“Jiri took to the middle and took a shot then hit his own rebound,” Belonger said. “I had a lucky bat at it in the air.”

Luck was not with the Phantoms in the second frame after Andy Simpson’s power-play goal tied the game.

Right after a RoughRiders’ penalty expired, Michael Parks’ backhand shot surprised Tibbett to give Cedar Rapids the lead.

In the final minute of the second period and the final seconds of a power play, Stu Wilson scored for a 4-2 lead.

Loney’s second goal five minutes into the third period revived the Phantoms’ hopes for a comeback.

“Strang just drove to the net hard and got tied up with their [defenseman],” Loney said. “I was flying around in the high slot so I just shot it.”

But five minutes later, Matt Hansen beat Tibbett with a shot from the top of the faceoff circle to restore the two-goal lead.