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Phantoms’ Connor leads USHL in scoring
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Phantoms forward Tyler Spezia (17) eludes Green Bay’s Kevin Irwin (14) during their Sept. 28 game at the Covelli Centre.
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
Creatures of habit, hockey players prefer normal routines. For the Youngstown Phantoms, this won’t be a typical weekend.
“Whether it’s two [games] on the road or two at home, [players tend to] like that better,” Youngstown Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen said of the schedule that has them playing the Chicago Steel (0-5-0) tonight at the Covelli Centre then boarding a bus for Indianapolis.
“Guys are gonna stretch, shower, get some food and we’ll jump on the bus,” Noreen said. “They’ll sleep on the bus and we’ll get to Indianapolis early in the morning then check into a hotel, have breakfast and a light stretch.”
Saturday evening, the Phantoms (1-4-1 3 points) will play the Indiana Ice (1-3-1, 3 points) then return to Ohio.
As the eastern-most team in the USHL, Noreen said his staff and players don’t talk much about the travel.
“It is what it is,” Noreen said. “And some teams have to travel a long way to play us.”
Noreen said his staff has not yet decided whether goaltender Sean Romeo will make his season debut this weekend. Romeo has been nursing a pulled groin that he suffered early in training camp. Jake Moore has started all six games.
Forwards Kyle Connor, JJ Piccinich and Maxim Letunov will be on the ice looking to add to their sizzling starts. With 11 points, Connor leads the USHL in scoring. Among the four players tied for second with nine points are Piccinich and Letunov.
“He’s stopping at the net and shooting the puck a lot more,” said Connor of Piccinich who was honored this week and the USHL’s CCM Offensive Player of the Week. “He’s just seeing the game better.”
In last weekend’s games in Iowa, Piccinich scored three goals. On Friday, the Phantoms gave up a late goal to lose to the Cedar Rapids Roughriders, 4-3. On Saturday, the Phantoms lost 6-3 to the Waterloo Black Hawks.
“I had no idea,” Piccinich said of being considered for the award. “I was actually pretty surprised.”
The announcement, which is posted on the wall in the locker room, has been decorated.
“Someone wrote on it, “He shoots with his eyes closed,’” Piccinich said with a laugh. “It’s good — guys are really happy for me.”
Noreen put together the Piccinich-Connor-Letunov line together two weeks ago. Piccinich, who scored two goals last season, said he’s been getting more scoring opportunities because of special teams.
“This is a tremendous testament tto JJ and the time he’s put into developing,” Noreen said. “We’ve always known the goal-scoring was there, but his overall game has really developed and I think that’s why we’re seeing the early scoring output.”
Piccinich said playing with the man-advantage has helped.
“Guys have really put me in good spots,” Piccinich said. “Obviously, I feel a lot better. I’m playing on the power play a little more and those guys are finding me the puck. They kind of make it easy for me, to be honest.”