Phantoms riding four-game win streak

October 21, 2011 at 12:09a.m.

YOungstown

If revenge is a dish best served cold, why not deliver it on ice?

That’s exactly what Brent Norris did on Thursday night at the Covelli Centre.

The newly-signed Phantom was a recent Cedar Rapids castoff. Originally drafted by the RoughRiders in the 16th round of this years draft, he was released in the preseason. A free agent, the Ottawa, Ont., native was signed by Youngstown this week and got his first ice time against the team that dumped him.

And, just to show them up, he scored a goal in the Phantoms 4-3 overtime victory.

“It gave me some fire for sure,” Norris said. “It was fun to play against those guys because I got to know all of them, but it’s more fun to beat them.”

Youngstown was relentless on offense all night, tallying 34 shots on goal. It didn’t pick things up until the second period, though. The Phantoms had just seven shots on goal in the first period.

Norris flicked a wrist shot off the crossbar on a power play, five minutes into the 2nd period. He got one past Cedar Rapids goaltender Matt McNeely on another drive, but it was cleared out by a defender before crossing the line into the net. It was so close that Norris actually raised his arms as if he scored. Dejected, he still got another chance to bury one. A pass came from Stephen Collins who was fighting off a pair of RoughRider defensemen on the boards. Corraling it in front of the net, Norris punched it in, undoubtedly.

“It felt good to finally score, but I didn’t know how to react,” he said. “It was so fast and felt great because I was off on my first two shots.”

The win was indeed special for Norris, but it was extra special for the Phantoms as a whole.

They had yet to beat Cedar Rapids in franchise history. In the third period, it looked as if it could stay that way.

After getting 20 shots on goal in the second period, Youngstown had a 3-1 lead with Norris’ goal, as well as two from Austin Cangelosi. They were the Estero, Fla., native’s USHL-leading sixth and seventh goals of the season. But, the RoughRiders answered with a pair in the third tying the game at three.

“Something we talk about is just moving forward without looking at the scoreboard,” said Phantoms coach Anthony Noreen. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy with that lead. Going out there in the third, I told them that they’re going to give us their all, and sure enough they did.”

With 6:53 remaining in regulation, Landon Smith chucked one past Youngstown goaltender Matt O’Connor for their second goal of the night. Two minutes later, Greg Amlong emerged with the puck after a scrum and took it coast-to-cost before beating O’Connor one-on-one.

Not only did that tie the game, it was on a Phantoms power play, so Cedar Rapids was shorthanded.

“It was a blow for sure,” Noreen said. “The two goals were more unlucky on our part. They were goals that anybody could have made.”

Heading into the overtime period, Youngstown didn’t change its outlook.

“We just wanted to stick to the basics,” said right winger Alex Gacek.

Just two minutes and two shots into the extra frame, Gacek ended it with an unassisted goal.

“It was a sigh of relief to finally put it away because we worked so hard all game and we didn’t want to lose it,” he said.