Phantoms: Sochi matchup excites players, coaches

February 21, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

Before the Winter Olympics began, Youngstown Phantoms assistant coach Michael Zucker said the coaching staff would do what it could to allow the players to see the key hockey games from Sochi, Russia.

Today in Green Bay, Wis., as the Phantoms prepare for two games against the fourth-place Gamblers, the team has arranged the morning skate so the players (mostly 17-20-year-olds) will be able to watch Canada and USA play in their semifinal game at noon.

“We’ll be able to see most of the game,” said Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen who is predicting the USA will win, 4-2.

The Canada-USA winner will play for the gold medal on Sunday morning. The loser will play for the bronze medal on Saturday. Tonight, the Phantoms (11-27-5, 27 points) will take on the Gamblers (21-17-6, 48 points) in the first of two games. After Saturday’s game, the Phantoms will board their sleeper bus and ride to Chicago where they will play the Steel on Sunday afternoon.

Feelings are mixed about how well the USA will fare against Canada in the rematch of the 2010 Winter Olympics gold medal game.

“3-1 Canada,” predicted Phantoms goaltender Sean Romeo who hails from Cary, N.C.

Forward Alfred Larsson, the team’s captain from Sweden, thinks USA will prevail, 3-2.

Assistant coach Brad Patterson, who is from Cranbrook, British Columbia, said, “My heart says Canada, but they will need to be at their best. What I have seen so far won’t cut it any further.”

Patterson was referring to Wednesday’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Latvia when Canada finally took the lead late in the third period on defenseman Shea Weber’s slapshot. At the same time, USA cruised past Czech Republic, 5-2.

On Thursday, Kyle Connor, the Phantoms’ leading scorer, was named as a First-Team USHL All-Star for the Eastern Conference.

“It’s a real honor,” said Connor who has scored 53 points in 39 games and is third in the league in scoring.

USHL coaches and general managers voted on all-star teams for both conferences.

“Hearing [it was voted on] by those guys, it means so much,” Connor said.

Connor, 17,was the youngest player selected.

“The steps he has taken to become a complete player have been remarkable, especially considering he has been one of the youngest players in the league over the past season-and-a-half,” Noreen said. “He deserves this recognition.”

The Phantoms are coming off a 4-3 overtime win last Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa, against the Buccaneers. Josh Melnick netted the game-winning goal.

“We feel like our puck possession has been very good,” Noreen said. “The amount of shots we’ve been getting in the games where we got shut out have been good.

“We still need to do a better job of putting the puck in the net, though. A lot of it is little habits, fighting through sticks, getting to the net, and looking for the puck in loose areas.”

Noreen said backup goaltender Colin DeAugustine is likely to see action this weekend.

When the Phantoms played three games in three days from Feb. 7-9, DeAugustine played in the third game.

“We’ll make a decision, but I tell them to be prepared for all three,” Noreen said. “I at least give the guy who’s going the next day a day-in-advance warning that he’ll be going for us.”