Phantoms talk about lessons learned during Media Day

October 3, 2014 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Phantoms learned several things during last season’s last-place plummet in the USHL’s Eastern Conference standings.

“The biggest thing we learned is that we never want to let it happen again,” Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen said Thursday during the team’s Media Day at the Covelli Centre.

Noreen begins his fourth season as Phantoms head coach. His first season featured the team’s first playoff appearance. His second ended with the Phantoms losing Game 5 in the best-of-five Eastern Conference Finals.

Last season was a nightmare from the start as the Phantoms (17-37-6, 40 points) finished 22 points behind seventh-place Chicago.

“It was a huge learning experience,” said forward Josh Nenadal, who returns for his third season. “It tested our leadership, it tested our entire team’s character.

“I don’t think we ever stopped battling all season long,” Nenadal said. “When it came down to the last game, we were still out there blocking shots, hitting. Nobody gave up.”

Tommy Parran, who along with Matt Miller are team’s returning defensemen, said the survivors are mentally tougher.

“[The losing] kind of showed us that no matter what the scoreboard or the standings said, Coach instilled in us [to put] that stuff out of the way,” Parran said. “[We] still have to come to work every day.

“That helped us mature.”

Forward Kyle Connor (31 goals, 43 assists), the USHL’s second-leading scorer, returns. In one NHL Prospects list, Connor is in the Top 15. Also returning is forward Max Letunov (19 goals, 24 assists), a fourth-round draft pick by the St. Louis Blues in June’s NHL Draft.

“Really big skill set,” Nenadal said of the team’s best scoring hopes.

Last March, a sixth Phantoms season was anything but assured. Right before the team’s five-year contract with the Covelli Centre expired, Troy and Aafke Loney bought half of the franchise from Bruce Zoldan.

Loney, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, began running the team’s day-to-day operations.

In the spring, the Phantoms agreed to a three-year lease with the arena.

“We’re excited about the community response,” Loney said. “We know that our ticket process is going to take a little bit of time.”

Time is something the Phantoms don’t have, as far as wins and losses. Last year’s USHL champion Indiana is not skating a team this season, but expansion teams in Bloomington, Ind., and Madison, Wis., have been added to make a nine-team Eastern Conference.

Noreen said the playoff format remains the same — four teams from each conference.

“There aren’t many hockey leagues in the world where less than half the teams in the conference make the playoffs,” Noreen said. “I think it’s going to make for great hockey.

“It’s going to make for playoff-like hockey a lot earlier in the season,” Noreen said. “These are do-or-die games right now, you can’t afford to let points [get away], especially against conference opponents.”

Parran agrees a strong start is needed.

“We need to [win] now,” said Parran, whose home is in Shaker Heights. “We can’t wait so we need to be urgent, to take advantage of our opportunities to win games early.”

Injuries played a role in the team’s bad start last season. Nenadal, from Brecksville, said he feels the team struggled to bond.

“Our chemistry did not really mesh right off the bat,” Nenadal said. “We’re already starting to get the chemistry flowing.”

Last Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Phantoms lost the season opener to Team USA, 4-2.

“Even in the loss, the chemistry was there,” Nenadal said. “[We] were finding each other [with passes] that we wouldn’t find last year in Game 60.

“It’s the biggest thing in the world, getting the ball rolling quick,” Nenadal said. “Because once that that starts coming together, then your ceiling is unbelievably high.”

Colin DeAugustine (8-12-4-1 last season) took the loss against Team USA. Noreen said Chris Birdsall will start tonight’s game in goal against Team USA in Ann Arbor.

“The plan probably is to rotate back and go with Colin on Saturday,” said Noreen of the other weekend game against Bloomington.

The Phantoms’ home opener will be Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. against Bloomington.