Phantoms unlucky against Team USA

Staff report

ANN ARBOR, Mich.

Luck was not on the Phantoms’ side Sunday.

Despite nine power plays and numerous breakaways, they could not overcome a sloppy first period and fell 4-2 to Team USA Under-17 squad.

The Phantoms (4-7-1, 9 points) got goals from Josh Melnick and JJ Piccinich, as well as a solid outing from Sean Romeo, who made 26 saves on 29 shots.

His USA counterpart Michael Lackey put on an impressive performance turning away 25 of 27 shots, and including all 10 thrown his way in the third period — and got some help from goal posts.

“He was the difference. There’s no doubt about it,” head coach Anthony Noreen said. “We had three breakaways in the third period and three or four odd-man rushes and we put pucks on net with every one of them. But he stopped them and the couple we did get past him hit the post.”

The Phantoms entered the third period trailing Team USA (9-5-1, 19 points) 3-2 but had a countless chances to even things up.

Kyle Connor created three breakaways but was denied twice by Lackey and once by the crossbar. He finished the night with a game-high six shots — five coming in the final period.

Piccinich put a short-handed shot off the right post just past the five-minute mark of the third and Truman Reed rang a one-timer off the crossbar during a power play later in the period as the Phantoms, who scored on their first man-advantage, failed to convert any of their subsequent eight attempts.

“If Kyle [Connor] gets that many grade-A chances every night, I like our chances to win and I like his chances to score,” Noreen said. “For some reason it just wouldn’t go today. That’s just kind of the way things are going for us right now.”

Brendan Warren had an empty-net goal with less than two minutes remaining in the third to seal Youngstown’s fate.

“It’s not like the puck wasn’t on the stick of the guys that we wanted,” Noreen said. “We’re just a little bit snakebit right now.”