Phantoms’ Noreen USHL’s top coach

May 30, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

The postseason awards continue to pour in for the Youngstown Phantoms.

The USHL named head coach Anthony Noreen the 2014-15 Coach of the Year on Friday.

Noreen was selected after a vote of the league’s coaches and general managers.

“It is extremely humbling to receive this honor,” Noreen said. “With the caliber of coaching in this league and the history of the award, it’s an absolute honor to be mentioned in the same category as some of the best coaches to come out of this league.”

In Noreen’s fourth sesson, the Phantoms went 40-14-6 for 86 points to win the Anderson Cup, the league trophy that goes to the regular-season champion. It was quite a turnaround from the 2013-14 season when the Phantoms, coming off a second consecutive playoff berth, went 17-37-6 to finish in last place in the Eastern Conference.

The difference was a 46-point and 23-win swing in the standings.

Phantoms co-owners Troy and Aafke Loney said the award is confirmation of what they felt of Noreen’s coaching ability.

“He is passionate about coaching the players, and wants them to be successful both on and off the ice,” Troy Loney said.

Aafke Loney said: “We are very fortunate to have him as a role model and leader for our team.”

Noreen was honored for guiding the Phantoms to the best season in the team’s six-year history. The Phantoms set team records for home wins (20) and road wins (20), culminating with the Phantoms’ third trip to the postseason in the past four years. In the first round, the Phantoms were ousted by fourth-seeded Muskegon, 3-1.

“Coach Noreen is so much more than an amazing coach,” said Phantoms co-captain Ryan Lomberg, who will play for Miami University this fall. “He is a role model that we players can look up to every day.

“This year was the most fun I’ve ever had playing the game I love, and it was 100 percent because of him and the atmosphere he built.”

The highlight of the regular season was a 17-game winning streak, now the USHL record since the league became Tier One in 2002.

Noreen’s career coaching record is 126-99-19.

“This is by no means an individual award — it’s a team, staff and organizational award, and without them, this doesn’t happen,” said Noreen, who cited assistant general manager Jason Koehler, assistant coaches Brad Patterson and John Ronan, athletic trainer Jim Schroeder and equipment manager Adam Waddell. “When you have good people around you making you better, it allows for good things to happen.”