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Gritty Phantoms make it a dirty dozen
By CURTIS PULLIAM
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown Phantoms knew the Sioux Falls Stampede were not happy about Friday’s 7-3 loss.
The Phantoms were ready for them.
Their winning ways continued on Saturday led by James Winkler’s two goals as the Phantoms beat the Stampede, 6-2, at the Covelli Centre.
Winkler’s two goals came in the third period to help secure the franchise-record winning streak to 12 games.
“It was great,” Winkler said. “There were two great plays by both of my teammates.”
Lukas Craggs had a nice pass for an assist on Winkler’s first goal. New Phantom Tyler Sheehy had a sharp centering pass on the other.
“He’s ready to contribute I think,” Winkler said. “He’s a great asset to the team.”
Despite the physicality of the game, the Phantoms (31-13-5) never wavered.
The game featured 24 penalties and five misconducts in the third period.
“I think Friday was a hard hitting game and tonight was even more,” Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen said. “We love it. That’s the type of hockey we want to play.”
Ryan Lomberg scored his 21st goal on the season on a breakaway. Stampede goalie Stefanos Lekkas skated out the net and tried to poke it away. However, Lomberg was able to go around and put it home for a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.
“He ‘tried’ is the key word there,” Lomberg said. “I guess you got to be quicker than that, right? I guess I will tell him to work on his footwork.”
The Stampede struck back in the third with a goal from Clint Lewis to make it 4-2.
That would be the closest the Stampede would get as Chris Birdsall finished with 33 saves.
“Tremendous,” Noreen said of Birdsall. “I thought for a good while there they were taking it us for a little bit. I thought we bent but he was the main reason we didn’t break, making some big saves.”
The Phantoms struck first with Max Letunov’s 23rd goal of the season.
The Stampede would tie the game at one with a goal by Parker Tuomie with 0.5 seconds remaining in the first.
Momentum seemed to be with the Stampede at that point but a Kyle Connor breakaway goal and Lomberg’s goal in a span of two minutes brought momentum back to the Phantoms.
“I thought that was the best thing about tonight was we sacrificed our body a lot and took a lot of hit in order to make a good play,” Noreen said. “And we were rewarded for it.”
Winkler’s goals were number 12 and 13 on the season for the Northeastern commit.
“Huge goals,” Noreen said. “James Winkler is someone who early on in the season didn’t play a lot. When he did play he didn’t get many shifts.”
But that didn’t discourage the 6-foot-3” forward from Maine.
“He stuck to it,” Noreen said. “He trusted us and his attitude and work ethic never veered and now he’s getting rewarded.”
Winkler never had a doubt in Noreen.
“He told me that you’re going to get more us time down the road,” Winkler said.
Winkler was glad to help the team keep winning.
“Everyone is real excited,” Winkler said. “Twelve in a row is something special it doesn’t happen often. We are just trying to keep it going.”
For Noreen, the streak is not just about one player being hot but about the Phantoms sticking together.
“They’re a team, it’s a family,” Noreen said. “Every night it is somebody different and I think the key to it is we talked about staying in the moment and enjoying the run.”