The Youngstown Phantom Bantam AA team heads to Salt Lake City

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Submitted | Neighbors.The Youngstown Phantom Bantam AA team will be heading to Salt Lake City, Utah to represent Ohio in the UAHA National Hockey Tournament, beginning on March 25.

The Youngstown Phantom Bantam AA team will be heading to Salt Lake City Utah to represent Ohio in the UAHA National Hockey Tournament. The team, comprised of 14 year old boys from the Youngstown area and Western PA started this season off ranked first in the state of Ohio based on their accomplishments last season. They held onto this position and earned a spot in the coveted Silver Sticks National Tournament in Port Huron, Michigan in January. The Phantoms fought hard to earn their Silver Sticks as they competed against 12 other teams from the Mid-American Region in Dayton In November. Despite losing in the Regional Final Championship game, their intensity and performance throughout the tournament secured a rare invitation to Port Huron. Once at this tournament, they finished in the middle of the pack, but were able to come home with an experience that youth hockey players rarely have. Once home, the Phantoms continued to protect their standings in the state and battled for the top seat in the Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League. On February 22 the team clinched their season with a winning league record of 16-2-2 against 11 other teams. The team recorded 86 goals during the season in league play and also had the lowest number of penalty minutes recorded in the league. On March 8 the team played in the State of Ohio Championship game in Mentor, Ohio. They defeated the Toledo Cherokee Bantam AAs with a final score of 9-1. With this win, the Phantoms were named the Ohio 14U Tier II State Champions and will advance to nationals in Salt Lake City, Utah beginning on March 25. They end their season ranked first in Ohio with a 37-13-6 record, outscoring their opponents 223-103. The team is also ranked 50th out of 1060 teams nationally. The team is coached by Bob Hawthorne, who has a story of his own. Hawthorne has played hockey all his life, most notably in his youth in upstate New York and Canada. Hawthorne participated as a player at the US Olympic Camp for the 1980 “Miracle” Team. Hawthorne has given back as a level 4 USA Hockey coach for 36 years and has earned numerous honors and awards. He has also been a USA Hockey official for over 30 years. This will be his 4th appearance at nationals with a youth hockey team. Assistant coaches include Zach Skook, Jamie Hamilton, and Taylor Cera. Rostered players include: Drew Murphy (A), Stone Elias, Tallon Price, Colin Frost, Bo Gray (A), Devin Whitaker, Danny LaFontaine, Michael Fetsko, Vince Hepola, and Rob Stanko of the Youngstown area. Western PA players include Darrin Smith (C), Max Hamilton (A), Brayden Forsyth, Cole Luther, Richie Phipps, RJ Pozzuto, and Bradley Ryniawec.

The Youngstown Phantom Bantam AA team will be heading to Salt Lake City Utah to represent Ohio in the UAHA National Hockey Tournament. The team, comprised of 14 year old boys from the Youngstown area and Western PA started this season off ranked first in the state of Ohio based on their accomplishments last season. They held onto this position and earned a spot in the coveted Silver Sticks National Tournament in Port Huron, Michigan in January. The Phantoms fought hard to earn their Silver Sticks as they competed against 12 other teams from the Mid-American Region in Dayton In November. Despite losing in the Regional Final Championship game, their intensity and performance throughout the tournament secured a rare invitation to Port Huron. Once at this tournament, they finished in the middle of the pack, but were able to come home with an experience that youth hockey players rarely have. Once home, the Phantoms continued to protect their standings in the state and battled for the top seat in the Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League. On February 22 the team clinched their season with a winning league record of 16-2-2 against 11 other teams. The team recorded 86 goals during the season in league play and also had the lowest number of penalty minutes recorded in the league. On March 8 the team played in the State of Ohio Championship game in Mentor, Ohio. They defeated the Toledo Cherokee Bantam AAs with a final score of 9-1. With this win, the Phantoms were named the Ohio 14U Tier II State Champions and will advance to nationals in Salt Lake City, Utah beginning on March 25. They end their season ranked first in Ohio with a 37-13-6 record, outscoring their opponents 223-103. The team is also ranked 50th out of 1060 teams nationally. The team is coached by Bob Hawthorne, who has a story of his own. Hawthorne has played hockey all his life, most notably in his youth in upstate New York and Canada. Hawthorne participated as a player at the US Olympic Camp for the 1980 “Miracle” Team. Hawthorne has given back as a level 4 USA Hockey coach for 36 years and has earned numerous honors and awards. He has also been a USA Hockey official for over 30 years. This will be his 4th appearance at nationals with a youth hockey team. Assistant coaches include Zach Skook, Jamie Hamilton, and Taylor Cera. Rostered players include: Drew Murphy (A), Stone Elias, Tallon Price, Colin Frost, Bo Gray (A), Devin Whitaker, Danny LaFontaine, Michael Fetsko, Vince Hepola, and Rob Stanko of the Youngstown area. Western PA players include Darrin Smith (C), Max Hamilton (A), Brayden Forsyth, Cole Luther, Richie Phipps, RJ Pozzuto, and Bradley Ryniawec.