Offense flies, Romeo shines in road win

Staff report

DES MOINES, IOWA

Third-year Phantoms goaltender Sean Romeo continued his strong veteran season with his third shuout of the season.

The Phantoms blanked the Des Moines Buccaneers, 5-0.

Romeo tied his own Youngstown franchise record with the shuout and he is tied for first in the United States Hockey League in the category. The Cary, N.C. native made 33 saves.

The Phantoms (11-13) scored two goals in the first period. Daniel Renouf scored the first just 2 minutes, 12 seconds into the first period with a shorthanded breakaway past Des Moines defender Billy Christopoulous.

John Padulo added the second, his fourth of the season, off assists by line mates Kyle Connor and Austin Cangelosi.

Padulo has now had at least one point in seven of the last eight games.

Renouf tallied his second of the night just before the midway point of the second.

JJ Piccinich strung a pass across the slot for Renouf, who gathered it at the right-side wall. He fired a wrist shot across the chest of Christopoulos, just inside the far post to give Youngstown a three-goal cushion heading into the third.

With just 5:22 remaining, the Buccaneers coughed the puck up in their defensive zone and Piccinich made them pay, firing a wrist shot home from the right circle. He also assisted on John Nenadal’s final goal of the game.

The Phantoms took 37 shots. They were 0-for-6 on power play chances, but 4-for-4 on penalty kills.

Youngstown faces the Buccaneers (13-12-1) again tonight.