43
Phantoms down rival ’Jacks in shootout
Photo
Phantoms forward Ryan Belonger (16) tries to keep Muskegon’s Matt DeBlouw from the puck during Thursday’s game at the Covelli Centre.
YOUNGSTOWN
Anthony Noreen doesn’t necessarily need to shed a few pounds, cut back on the sweets or read more British literature, this year.
The Youngstown Phantoms coach has just one New Year’s resolution and that is to make his players better.
The Phantoms’ 4-3 shootout win over Muskegon on Thursday at the Covelli Centre was the perfect start to 2012.
“I thought from a process standpoint, it was one of the better games we played all year,” he said. “Some things won’t go our way and the puck won’t fall in the net. The last four games, that seems to be the case.”
The Phantoms (17-8-2) totaled 24 shots on goal in the first two periods, but only one score. Within the first two minutes, Austin Cangelosi netted his 12th goal, but the Lumberjacks capitalized with the next two — both by Adam Chlapik.
Youngstown had plenty of chances to tie it, but those fell through. For a good two minutes, the Phantoms attempted eight shots without turning the puck over. Their best opportunity came with under three minutes remaining in the second when they had a five-on-three power play. However, they couldn’t score.
“You just have to grip your stick a little tighter and talk about having the confidence to let one fall,” said left winger Sam Anas.
Eventually, it did.
It was Anas that drove the puck from center ice, dribbling it with a nice pass through the legs of Muskegon’s Dakota Klecha. He took a shot that ricocheted off the goalie into the stick of Richard Zehnal who pounded through his fourth goal of the season.
“We said if we got that one to fall,” Noreen said, “we’d win the game.”
Travis Walsh halted those dreams temporarily with a slapshot goal from 25 feet away. But just 19 second later, Cangelosi scored his second goal off a well-designed play by Mike Ambrosia to Mike Gunn who found him in front of the net.
Besides goal keeper Matt O’Connor, they were the only three Phantoms on the ice.
“If we would have gotten that five-on-three we had earlier, it could’ve changed the dynamic of the game,” Noreen said. “That shorthanded goal was obviously what we needed to make sure Muskegon wouldn’t run away with it.”
In overtime, the Lumberjacks out-shot Youngstown 5-1, but neither team scored. Anas’ shootout goal — the only of the session — lifted the Phantoms to their second victory in five tries against Muskegon.
“I came down and faked a shot and the goalie froze a little,” Anas said. “I just was able to beat him and slide it in.”
This is the Potomac, Md., native’s first year with the Phantoms, but his second game-winning goal. Two years ago, he netted one as a member of Landon Prep. It was there that he learned of a budding United States Hockey League rivalry between Youngstown and Muskegon.
“My friend Casey Thrush played for [the Lumberjacks] and I knew he didn’t like Youngstown,” Anas said. “So when I got drafted by Youngstown last year it just added to it. It’s fun to play against, and beat, your rivals.”
Noreen said the bad blood started last season because both squads are near matches in their styles and attitude.
“There’s no love lost; we don’t like them — they don’t like us,” Noreen said. “That’s the great part about the series.”