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Slow start hurts Phantoms
Photo
Phantoms defender Jordan Young (5) tries to keep the puck from the Fighting Saints’ Max Gardiner during Sunday’s game at the Covelli Centre. The Saints won 4-3.
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
The Dubuque Fighting Saints scored the first four goals then withstood a furious rally by the Youngstown Phantoms for Sunday’s 4-3 victory at the Covelli Centre.
Tyler Lundey had two goals for Dubuque (9-3-1, 19 points) as they split their weekend series with the Phantoms to pull to within one point of Eastern Conference leader Green Bay.
They also improved to 6-2-1 on the road this season.
“Tyler [Lundey] is an elite skater and someone who loves to compete,” Dubuque coach Jim Montgomery said. “His skill allows him to make plays and in this league that is very special.”
Phantoms coach Anthony Noreen said his squad, which was playing for the third time in as many days, needed for effort.
“Dubuque is a very talented, very physical team,” Noreen said. “It gets very tough when you spot a team of their caliber four goals.
“We didn’t play a full 60 minutes tonight. The first 20 minutes were not up to our standard but the good part is that no one on the bench had their heads down.
“We preach not to look at the scoreboard,” Noreen said. “Our power play then came up big for us and we were all over them in the third period which got us back in the game.”
The Fighting Saints struck first at 8:33 of the opening period when John Doherty’s wrister slipped past the outstretched glove of Phantoms goalie Sean Romeo.
When Matthew Caito’s shot bounced off the right iron at 18:30 of the opening frame, Dubuque’s Eliot Grauer finished the play by depositing the puck into the back of the Youngstown net for a 2-0 Saints’ advantage.
Dubuque increased the lead to 3-0 when Lundey notched his fifth goal of the year on assists from Jake Downing and Doherty.
Lundey’s power-play goal at 12:31 made it 4-0.
The Phantoms’ Sam Anas then took matters into his own hands, scoring twice in the final six minutes of the second period.
“There’s a reason we drafted Sam [Anas] in the second round,” Noreen said. “He’s probably our most skilled player and he has a very bright future.
“He played high school hockey in Maryland last year and this has been a big jump for him,” Noreen said, “He’s really adjusting and tonight you saw some of that adjustment.”
Both goals were scored on the power play, the second with five seconds remaining in the second period.
A goal by J.T. Stenglein at 7:34 of the final frame, his fourth of the year, cut the Dubuque lead to 4-3, but it was too little, too late as they fell for the second time in seven home outings.
The Saints held a 29-25 shot advantage with Dubuque going 1-for-4 on power play opportunities and the Phantoms 2-for-8.
Youngtown will travel to Chicago on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. game with the Steel, then return home to kick off a four-game homestand when they entertain the Cedar Rapids Roughriders on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. at the Covelli Centre.