A night of first for the Phantoms in blowout win over Des Moines

October 16, 2011 at 12:03a.m.

youngstown

For the first three games of the Youngstown Phantoms’ season, Todd Koritzinsky has been content on the bench. Of course, like any athlete, he wants ample playing time to show he belongs.

The Verona, Wis., native got that chance on Saturday night.

Filling in for injured assistant captain Dylan Margonari, Koritzinsky got his first taste of USHL action and contributed to the Phantoms 5-1 victory over Des Moines at the Covelli Centre.

“Todd was told about 40 minutes before the game that he was playing,” Phantoms coach Anthony Noreen said. “He stepped in and took Dylan’s place and had big shoes to fill. He comes in and scores a goal — that’s just icing on the cake.”

Koritzinsky’s was the Phantoms’ second goal of the night. He dribbled away from a Des Moines defender into his own open space 25 feet from the net and unloaded a shot to the top shelf.

“I used the guy as a screen and I don’t think the goalie saw it,” he said. “I just came down and the guys just told me to give it a chance and shoot it in there. I didn’t want to get too pretty with it, but to get the job done.”

JT Stenglein got the Phantoms on the board first, just 53 seconds into the game. Koritzinky’s came only one minute and 17 seconds after that.

The fast start didn’t make Noreen’s job any easier, though.

“It actually makes it harder,” the first-year head coach said. “The hard thing is that when you get up in hockey, with a two-goal lead, it’s kind of deceiving. If they pop one in, they’re right back in the game.”

That’s just what the Buccaneers would do early in the second period.

Cal Decowski snuck one past goaltender Matt O’Connor at the 13:31 mark.

But, the Phantoms defense limited Des Moines to just three more shots on goal in the period. The Bucs took more than 60 shots in the game and nearly every one was stopped by somebody in a white jersey.

“Two things that we talk about every night is to finish hits and block shots,” Noreen said. “These don’t take skill, they take heart and they take will. That’s what we take pride in on our defense.”

Every Phantom that scored a goal, including Pat Conte who did twice in the second period, did for the first time in 2011. Alex Gacek got the final goal with assists from Ryan Belonger and Stephen Collins.

“We played a full 60 minutes, tonight,” Koritzinksy said. “It showed in the end.”