Phantoms return today in Ann Arbor

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Phantoms travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on Team USA today at 3 p.m.

It is the second meeting between the teams after Team USA came away with the victory in the United States Hockey League regular season opener on Sept. 30.

The 10-3 loss to Team USA was a watershed moment for the Phantoms and their leadership core. Coach Anthony Noreen did not even talk to his team immediately afterwards — the players addressed the problems internally.

“I definitely think that’s where some of our leadership emerged,” Noreen said. “Guys like Mike Ambrosia, Dylan Margonari, Chris Bradley and Mike Gunn all had things to say in that meeting. They really established a mindset that it wasn’t OK to just be average anymore.”

“It was embarrassing to lose like that,” Margonari said. “We told them it was unacceptable and we needed to fix it and go forward.”

There has been no looking back.

Since that loss, the Phantoms are undefeated, winning their fourth straight game Thursday night in a 4-3 overtime thriller over Cedar Rapids at the Covelli Centre. The Phantoms got a pair of goals from center Austin Cangelosi and right wing Alex Gacek scored the game-winner 1:44 into the extra stanza.

The win moved the Phantoms into a three-way tie for first place in the USHL Eastern Conference standings with Indiana and Green Bay.

“[Thursday] night was the first time we’ve beaten Cedar Rapids in the regular season,” Noreen said. “[Today] we have the chance to set the longest winning streak this team has ever had.”

Phantoms defenseman Chris Bradley and Cangelosi are among 20 USHL players selected for the U.S. National Junior Select Team, which will compete in the World Junior A Challenge in Langley, British Columbia, Nov. 7-11.