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Phantoms like where they are 15 games into season
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown Phantoms feel like they’re in a pretty good place a quarter of the way through the USHL season.
Despite having lost three of their last four games, the Phantoms (8-5-2, 18 points) sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and are eight points out of first.
This weekend should provide an opportunity for Youngstown to close that gap, as they travel to Bloomington for two games. The Phantoms are a perfect 5-0 against the expansion Thunder this season, outscoring them 26-10.
“I think that, first off, we have a lot of depth throughout our team,” said Phantoms forward Kiefer Sherwood.
“There’s a lot of guys that can play in a lot of roles.”
Assistant coach Brad Patterson echoed his player’s feelings and has also been impressed with the team’s effort level on a daily basis, 15 games into the season.
“I think they’ve pushed the envelope a little bit this year,” Patterson said. “We also had quite a few returning players and sometimes that doesn’t translate exactly how you want, but with the group that we had coming back, we were pretty confident in what was coming.”
In what may be a surprise to some, Ryan Lomberg leads the team in scoring with eight goals, while Kyle Connor and Max Letunov share identical statistical lines with seven goals and 10 assists.
Goaltender Colin DeAugustine cooled off some, but still has a 2.98 goals against average with a .899 save percentage in nine games this season.
Phantoms join Face Off
Sherwood and Patterson joined Vindy Radio on Wednesday to discuss the team’s success through the first month of the season.
Below are some excerpts from the conversation. The full interview can be found at vindy.com/radio:
Q. What was it like growing up in Ohio and playing hockey, which isn’t one of the mainstream sports?
A. “Hockey’s definitely on the rise in Ohio, and especially in Columbus ever since the Jackets came to town,” Sherwood said. “Even in our middle school and high school growing up, there were only a couple of kids playing hockey, but it is starting to rise and I think that number will only keep going up.”
Q. What’s the difference in developing American-born skaters as opposed to European-born skaters?
A. “When we get a 16 or 17-year old American kid say versus a 16 or 17-year old European, I think the guys in the U.S. now, at such a young age — it might not be [lifting] weights — but they’re doing certain exercises that their core and their body frames are a little bit bigger and a little bit more developed than some of the guys coming from overseas,” Patterson said. “Whereas maybe some of their hockey sense, and by hockey sense I mean just being able to make reads on the ice, sometimes is a little bit better from some of our European players.”