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Newcomers blend well with sizzling Phantoms
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
When you’ve spent six months playing on a USHL team in a central location, it takes time to get adjusted after a trade to the city furthest east,
“I’m still tired from the last trip,” said Youngstown Phantoms defenseman Alec Vanko right before he boarded the team bus for the second-longest road trip of the season. “It’s definitely different.”
Vanko was referring to last weekend’s visit to Waterloo, Iowa, and Bensenville, Ill., when the sizzling Phantoms (36-13-5, 77 points) won three games.
On March 2, the Phantoms acquired Vanko who had been the Madison Capitols’ team captain. They also traded for Chicago Steel captain and defenseman Connor McDonald as well was Waterloo Black Hawks forward and assistant captain Tyler Sheehy.
The newcomers, who were prized for their experience, have fit right in, helping the Phantoms extend their winning streak to 17 games, tying the USHL record since the league became Tier One in 2002.
“When you make a trade, you hope that the [new player] will come in and do something [positive],” Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen said Wednesday before the team departed for Omaha, Neb., for games tonight and Saturday against the Lancers. “But it’s one thing to have a plan and another for them to show up and do it.
“All three have come in and upgraded us,” Noreen said. “They’ve done what we hoped and sometimes exceeded that.”
The Phantoms sent first-year defenseman Carson Vance to the Steel for McDonald. The deal reunited McDonald, whose home is Westerville outside of Columbus, with Connor Yau, who was Vance’s playing partner. Yau and McDonald were teammates last season on the Steel.
“I played with Yowzer in Chicago all last year,” McDonald said. “We have a good rhythm together.”
Vanko is in a rotation with Tommy Parran and Kris Myllari.
“They’ve done a good job of helping me out, kind of filling me in on some system work during practice and on the bench,” Vanko said.
One thing Noreen values about his new defenders is that both shoot from the right.
“Previously, we had six left shots, with Ty Farmer being the only right,” Noreen said. “We were able to balance our D corps shot-wise.”
The fourth-year head coach said adding veterans is a different challenge from calling up affiliate players.
“A lot of when you first get to this level, there’s a lot of teaching them to be men, teaching them to be mature, teaching them to act like pros,” Noreen said. “With those guys, there hasn’t been anything like that. They came in, they knew what was expected.”
With the Steel (26-24-3, 55 points) likely to miss the postseason, McDonald said his reaction to the trade was being “pretty excited, this being so close to home as well. It could have been anywhere — I’m glad it was Youngstown.”
McDonald grew up playing with Phantoms forward Kiefer Sherwood (New Albany) and knows some of the Phantoms who have ties to Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Vanko is having the opposite experience. A native of Oregon, Wis., he was living at home while playing for Madison.
“It’s a little different living away from home,” Vanko said. “I’m still getting adjusted to the Eastern Time Zone [but] I’m really happy to be here. The depth on this team is unbelievable.”
One adjustment is longer road trips. The Phantoms’ trip to Omaha overnight Wednesday took 13 hours.
“In Madison and Chicago last year, most trips were within four-to-six hours, except for coming out here,” Vanko said. “It’s definitely different [but] it’s been great, I’ve loved every second of being here.”
Winning can do that. The Phantoms’ last loss was on Jan. 31. A sweep this weekend will go them two straight unbeaten months.
It won’t be easy for the Eastern Conference leaders. The Lancers (30-15-8, 68 points) most likely will finish with the third seed in the Western Conference.
”They have a good group of forwards.” said Vanko whose Capitols already played two series against the Lancers.
Vanko cited Shane Gersich, Anthony Angello and Ryan Donato a forwards the Phantoms should watch.
“Their D men are big, a slower bunch, but they play a hard-nosed game,” Vanko said. “And they have a good goalie — [Kris] Oldham. He’s won ‘Goaltender of the Week’ a few times.”