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Battle of unbeatens ahead for Phantoms
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Phantoms defenseman Eric Sweetman (2) said the atmosphere around the team isn’t any different despite starting the season 4-0.
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
Off to their best start in four seasons in the USHL, the Youngstown Phantoms (4-0-0) will face another unbeaten team this weekend at the Covelli Centre.
The Dubuque Fighting Saints (3-0-0) will be in town for games tonight and Saturday. The Phantoms and Fighting Saints are two of the USHL’s remaining undefeated teams. The others are the Muskegon Lumberjacks (3-0-0) and Lincoln Stars (2-0-0).
Despite the unprecedented success for the Phantoms, defenseman Eric Sweetman says the atmosphere around the team isn’t different.
“The spirit is pretty high, but it hasn’t really changed,” the second-year Phantom backliner said. “That’s one thing that Coach [Anthony] Noreen has really installed in us.
“No matter what we do, we’re not going to get too high, and we’re not going to get too low,” Sweetman said. “We’re going to [try and] stay the same. Hopefully, that will transfer to our play.”
The Phantoms enter tonight’s game with the top two scorers in the league.
Austin Cangelosi leads the USHL with 10 points (five goals and five assist). Even more impressive is his plus/minus mark of plus-10 (goals scored when the Phantoms don’t have a man-advantage).
JT Stenglein has seven points (five goals, two assists) for second place. In last Friday’s 9-6 victory over the Blackhawks in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Stenglein scored four goals and tied Ty Loney’s franchise record with five points in a game.
Stenglein’s efforts earned him the league’s offensive player of the week, the second straight week a Phantom has earned a league honor. After the USHL’s first weekend, Phantoms defenseman Dan Renouf was defensive pPlayer of the week.
“I’m very happy for JT,” Noreen said. “Friday night was as complete a hockey game as I’ve seen him play here in three years.
“Obviously the goals were great to see and helped us win the game, but I thought he was physical, he was involved defensively and he helped on the penalty kill,” Noreen said.
Sweetman says the Phantoms will be challenged, not just because the Fighting Saints haven’t lost.
“We played Dubuque at the Fall Classic, and they’re a good team,” Sweetman said. “Coming off a couple of wins, they’re going to be high, they’re going to be tough.”
Against the Blackhawks, one of Cangelosi’s three goals was scored shorthanded, the ninth of his two-year career in the USHL. He is one shorthanded goal away from tying the USHL record of 10.
Sweetman said “mellow” can describe the locker room despite the winning streak.
“Our leaders [work] to keep our heads straight,” he said.