Phantoms make deals despite being on a roll

March 4, 2015 at 12:09a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Trading two players from a team on a 10-game winning streak is risky, Youngstown Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen agrees.

“[Trades are] always risky,” said Noreen on Tuesday after the Phantoms sent forward Bryan Lemos to the Waterloo Black Hawks for forward Tyler Sheehy. Also, the Phantoms traded the rights to defenseman Carter Ekberg to the Masdison Capitols for their team captain Alec Vanko.

Those deals were announced one day after the Phantoms traded defenseman Carson Vance to the Chicago Steel for their captain, Connor McDonald. Each deal includes draft picks changing hands, with the Phantoms receiving lower selections.

“They aren’t always easy decisions,” Noreen said of shaking up his roster. “We feel like we’ve upgraded. By no means was winning 10 games in a row our [only] goal for this team.”

The red-hot Phantoms (29-13-5, 63 points) have vaulted into second place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference, one point behind the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (32-16-0, 64 points). The Phantoms have a game in hand with the final 20 percent of the season arriving.

McDonald has two goals and seven assists in 45 games.

“In Connor, we add an experienced USHL defenseman who will help bolster the right side of our blue line,” Noreen said. “Just as important, he is a captain who we feel will add character to an already strong leadership core.”

Sheehy is a four-year veteran of the USHL. His strong performance in last year’s playoffs (eight goals, seven assists in 12 games) helped send the Black Hawks to the Clark Cup Final where they lost to the Indiana Ice.

This season, Sheehy has 15 goals and 26 assists. Noreen called the assistant captain an elite forward and a “proven winner.”

Noreen said Vanko will provide offense from the blue line.

None of three new Phantoms will return next season whereas Lemos and Vance are likely to return to the USHL in the fall.

Lemos scored 30 points in 48 games, the most for the Phantoms’ first-year players this season.

“Bryan Lemos was a tremendous Youngstown Phantom, and was a great teammate,” Noreen said.

His linemates included Kyle Connor and Ryan Lomberg.

“Obviously, it’s tough to see some of your brothers leave,” said Lomberg, a co-captain who was roommates with Vance. “But that’s hockey. We trust the coach and the front office to put us in the best position to win the Clark Cup.

“It’s tough to see guys leave but we’re excited for the future of this team,” said Lomberg, adding that there are high expectations for the newcomers. “We know the guys coming in, they come from leadership roles.”