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Phantoms rebound in rowdy win over Lancers
By STEVE BEIDECK
Omaha,Neb.
Goaltender Colin DeAugustine made 35 stops as the Youngstown Phantoms avenged their only loss in the past two months with Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the Omaha Lancers.
Friday, the Lancers snapped the Phantoms’ 17-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory. It was Youngstown’s first loss since Jan. 31.
In the rematch, Taylor Best and Alec Vanko scored goals for the Phantoms (37-14-5, 79 points), who continue to lead the USHL in points. Youngstown has a two-point lead over the Sioux City Musketeers (36-16-5, 77 points), the first-place team in the USHL’s Western Conference.
Saturday’s game was a rowdy affair both on and off the ice.
Though neither team scored until deep into the second period, there was plenty of hitting — legal and illegal — that fired up the announced Ralston Arena crowd of 3,538.
The Phantoms had two game misconduct calls in the first period that ended the night early for left wing Matt Alvaro and right wing James Winkler.
Omaha’s Jake Henderson and Youngstown’s Ryan Lomberg were assessed fighting major and misconduct penalties in the second period while Phantoms coach Anthony Noreen was given an unsportsmanlike conduct bench minor late in the second.
“For a long period of the game we were playing with only eight forwards, and at times we only had six or seven,” Noreen said. “We just needed to respond and rebound, and we did.”
After the game USHL officials supervisor Mark Faucette got into a heated exchange that included plenty of profanity directed toward the Youngstown coaches. Faucette continued his tirade in the officials’ locker room area, slamming doors and throwing down a chair while still cursing.
Those events didn’t dampen the importance of the victory for Noreen or any of the other Phantoms coaches.
“Our effort was great, we were passionate and competed hard,” Noreen said. “All the things where they had the edge on us the night before I thought we responded to tonight.”
Neither team scored until Best converted a shot from the top of the offensive zone circles. Josh Nenadal took the puck and got it to Best, who cut through the slot and clanked a shot off the left post and into the net past Omaha goalie Kris Oldham.
The Phantoms made it 2-0 at 5:47 into the third period with a power play goal by right defenseman Alec Vanko. Tyler Sheehy and Lomberg worked the puck at the top of the offensive circles, and after a shot went wide, Vanko was waiting on the left side of the net.
Vanko got to the puck before Oldham could get into position and scored his first goal of the season.
“The difference from last night is I thought we got the bounces and tonight we didn’t,” Lancers coach Brian Kaufman said. “There was a lot of energy, a lot of action and I was really proud of the effort our guys gave.”
Omaha pulled within one with eight minutes remaining in regulation. Will Borgen sent a pass to Matt Joyaux, who stepped into a shot that was blocked by DeAugustine.
Steven Spinner grabbed the rebound and score Omaha’s lone goal and his 22nd of the season. The Lancers pulled Oldham in the final minute for an extra attacker but weren’t able to get the equalizer before time expired.
The Phantoms have four games remaining — two at home. Their magic number to clinch the Eastern Conference crown is six (points for the Phantoms or lost by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders). The next point they earn will guarantee them home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.