Future Redhawks giving Phantoms needed spark
Lomberg
Sherwood
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown Phantoms captain Ryan Lomberg is making the most of his second chance with the USHL.
The Ontario native recently committed to Miami University in Oxford. Next season, he and linemate Kiefer Sherwood will skate for the Redhawks. Three former Phantoms — defenseman Ben Paulides and forwards Alex Gacek, and Conor Lemirande — are current Redhawks.
“It’s a great program and they have been having a lot of success lately,” Lomberg said. “I’m kind of grateful the way things worked out.”
Lomberg’s journey to Miami has been anything but easy. Three seasons ago, he skated for the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacksand earned a scholarship to the University of Maine.
After his second season with the Black Bears, Lomberg was suspended last spring after a fight at an off-campus party. The university said he should have shown better judgment.
In a plea deal in August, Lomberg was convicted of a misdemeanor and paid a $1,000 fine. Rather than sit idle for a year, Lomberg decided to return to the USHL. Because he went to Maine at age 17, he still had a year of eligibility remaining in the junior hockey league for players 17-20.
“I messed up,” said Lomberg, adding that breaking ties with Maine is a “blessing in disguise,” citing the Phantoms’ playoff hopes this season and his opportunity to get a degree and skate at Miami.
The Lincoln Stars had his rights. USHL teams are limited to four players from outside the U.S. When Stars management was told that Lomberg was considered a Canadian despite his two years at Maine, the Stars traded his rights to the Phantoms.
“It was a bit of a mess, a long summer for me [finding out] where I was going to end up,” Lomberg said. “I wanted to be on a contender, I knew Youngstown would be a good fit.”
Sherwood, a second-year forward, said he “didn’t know what to expect” when Lomberg came to training camp. A player returning from college to the USHL is unusual.
Sherwood said his teammates chose to “not judge a book by its cover.
“He’s been a pleasant surprise.”
By the time camp ended, the Phantoms named Lomberg and Josh Nenadal co-captains.
“Ryan possess all the attributes that we value in Youngstown,” Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen said. “He is ultra-competitive, a difference maker on the ice, and an elite leader that makes people around him better.”
In 29 games, Lomberg has scored 16 goals and made nine assists, sixth-best in scoring for the Phantoms. He leads the team in plus/minus with a +9.
“He’s one of the leaders, it’s worked out very well,” Sherwood said. “He leads vocally but at the same time he plays the game hard, plays the game the right way, the way Coach always likes to preach.
“He plays both sides and you know he’s always going to have your back.”
Sherwood has been a scoring machine of late. In his past 10 games, he’s scored 11 goals. The New Albany native leads the Phantoms with 17 goals and is fourth in scoring with 28 points in 32 games.
“Kiefer hands down is one of the hardest workers on this team,” Lomberg said. “He’s always getting on the ice early and hanging around after practice, ripping pucks on net.
“We joke all the time about how many pucks he shoots, but obviously he’s doing something right,” Lomberg said. “It’s good to see all his hard work start to pay off.”
In 55 games last season, Sherwood scored 13 goals and 32 points.
“I always believed I could [score consistently in the USHL],” SHerwood said. “It’s good to see it finally [happening].”
One of his favorites spots on the ice is the left faceoff circle during a power play. He has scored several goals from there during his streak.
“Earlier in the year, he was getting frustrated because he wasn’t putting the puck into the net as much as he’d like,” Lomberg said, “Now that it’s going in, he’s happy, we’re all happy.
“Hopefully he’ll be able to keep it up.”
Sherwood and Lomberg have helped the Phantoms (17-9-5, 39 points) secure fourth place in the nine-team Eastern Conference at the halfway mark. They’re just three points behind second-place Dubuque. The top four teams will qualify for the postseason. It’s quite a reversal from last year when the Phantoms stumbled to a last-place finish.
“It’s definitely a lot more fun when you win games,” Sherwood said. “There’s nothing better.
“We’ve still got a long ways to go,” Sherwood said. “I hope none of the guys [get] complacent because we are in the hunt because things can change.”
Tonight and Saturday, the fifth-place Madison Capitols (15-10-5, 35 points) will play at the Covelli Centre for the first time.
“We don’t see them as a new team,” Lomberg said of the expansion Capitols. “All we know is they are right behind us in the standings so this is the biggest weekend of the [season] for us so far. It’s a huge four points up for grabs.”
When he’s not on the ice, Lomberg is a full-time student taking online courses with American Public University. He will have two seasons of college eligibility at Miami and three years of coursework complete.
“Hopefully I’ll have a lighter schedule.”
Lomberg is now playing with Sherwood and Max Letunov, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in last June’s NHL Draft. Another teammate, Kyle Connor, is expected to be a first-round selection in this June’s NHL Draft.
“It’s real exciting to play with a guy with the caliber and skill that Kyle Connor has,” Lomberg said. “It’s a bonus that every [game] wherever we go, there’s going to be a couple of NHL scouts watching him.
“And hopefully if you have a good game they notice you as well.”
Lomberg said he’s learned the hard way to appreciate playing hockey.
“There’s life outside of hockey and you’ve got to do all the right things away from the rink,” Lomberg said. “I think I’ve grown a ton as a person.
“Now I value hockey and my life better. The [suspension] allowed me to take a long, long look in the mirror to see what I have to do to be better as a person.”