Team USA stings Phantoms with late goals

Staff report

ANN ARBOR, MICH.

After the Youngstown Phantoms overcame a slow start, Team USA’s 18-U team broke a third-period tie to earn Monday’s 4-2 victory.

The Phantoms trailed 2-0 in the opening period before rallying to tie the game in the third period.

A few minutes later, Team USA scored the game-winning goal.

“We battled hard all game,” Phantoms assistant captain Chase Pearson said. “Good teams find a way to fight through adversity, which is what we did.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but there are a lot of positives we can take out of this game,” Pearson said.

In the opening period, Keenan Suthers scored his first USHL goal on a wrist shot that beat Phantoms goaltender Ryan Bednard over his shoulder.

About nine minutes later, Kieffer Bellows doublec the lead when his wrist shot snuck underneath Bednard’s arm.

In the second period, Team USA’s Griffin Luce was ejected for a head-shot on Phantoms defenseman Vas Kolias. During the five-minute major penalty, Pearson beat USA goaltender Joseph Woll to slice the lead to 2-1.

In the third period, Pearson set up the tying goal, forcing a turnover behind the USA net then finding Cam Morrison open on the side of the cage. Morrison slammed home his team leading 20th goal.

With 3:50 remaining in regulation, J.D. Greenway scored an unassisted goal and Team USA added an empty-net goal.

“This is a monster weekend coming up, and we have to be at the top of our game,” Phantoms head coach John Wroblewski said. “I think right now we are playing good hockey.

:”I didn’t like our first period tonight, but sometimes that’s going to happen with the early start and tough travel,” Wroblewski said.

Youngstown will be back on the road on Friday and Saturday against the Bloomington Thunder.