Flying Phantoms prepared for Force

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Phantoms are off to the best start in the three-year history of the USHL franchise and they have a league-best record at home.

The Phantoms hope to continue that hot streak this weekend with a pair of games at the Covelli Centre.

The Phantoms (10-5-0 overall) are 6-2 on home ice under first-year head coach Anthony Noreen and will play host to the Fargo Force tonight and the Sioux City Musketeers on Saturday. Both games are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. starts.

“You could see improvement and growth in the Youngstown Phantoms organization from the day they joined the league to today,” USHL commissioner Skip Prince said. “But I don’t think we could have expected them to have quite this record.

“It is hard-earned and very well-received by everyone in the league,” Prince said.

Noreen said he is not surprised at the team’s performance.

“I said it the day I got the job: My expectations for this organization and the players that are in it are going to be much higher,” Noreen said. “They will continue to be moving forward, no matter what successes or failures we have.

“Winning is not an individual feat or accomplishment. It’s a habit,” Noreen said. “What we’re trying to do is get in the habit of winning.”

The Phantoms have yet to lose consecutive games this season — one of only three teams in the league with that distinction.

Along the way, they also have made some history capturing the franchise’s first wins over Cedar Rapids, Omaha, Tri-City and last year’s Clark Cup champion, Dubuque.

“[Those wins] gave us the confidence to know we can play and compete with the so-called ‘elite’ teams in the league,” Noreen said. “Beating those teams once is great, but to get in the habit of beating them — to prove that we can repeatedly beat them — that’s when you’ve accomplished something.”

Noreen said that he could not take sole credit for the culture shift in the locker room and the results on the ice. Just as much of it belongs to the players themselves, a mix of veterans and new faces, who have all bought in to what Noreen has been selling.

“The coaches are so knowledgeable about the game and they have put into place great systems,” captain Mike Ambrosia said. “But give credit to our guys so far. Every time they go on the ice, they’re trying to improve themselves and improve the team.”