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Phantoms seek more big weekends
Fifth-place Youngstown is facing
key back-to-back road weekends
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
After sweeping the USHL’s top team last weekend, the fifth-place Youngstown Phantoms are getting ready for four important games against two of the teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings.
“We wouldn’t want to have it any other way,’ Phantoms captain Matt Alvaro said Thursday of playing the Bloomington Thunder this weekend and Cedar Rapids on Jan. 29-30. “These are the teams we want to catch.”
Last weekend at the Covelli Centre, the Phantoms (16-11-3-5, 40 points) defeated the Dubuque Fighting Saints (22-11-0-0, 44 points) twice (4-1 and 5-2). Defenseman Connor Moore scored six points in those games, including four assists in Friday’s win.
During that victory, Moore’s name only was announced after two of the goals.
“I don’t really listen,” Moore said of the goal announcements. He was unaware of his four-point night until after the game when the stats were updated.
Monday, the USHL named Moore the league’s Defenseman of the Week.
“He had a heck of a weekend,” Alvaro said. “He definitely deserved it.”
Moore’s reaction?
“Kinda shocked,” said Moore who is committed to Boston College. “I really wasn’t thinking about getting it. It’s an honor, especially in the league we’re in.”
Moore called the sweep of the Fighting Saints “awesome. Our team played unbelievable.”
Alvaro was happier with Saturday’s win, knowing the Saints were motivated to do better.
“The first [win] was good to get, but the second one was more impressive,” Alvaro said. “That was a statement to the rest of the league.
“We’re excited to be climbing in the standings,” Alvaro said. “We’re better than a fifth-place team.”
Moore said the Phantoms were motivated by their Dec. 27 loss to the Saints in Iowa.
“We were frustrated after they beat us 7-1,” Moore said.
The top four teams in each conference make the playoffs.
The next four games are important if the Phantoms hope to return to the Clark Cup Playoffs.
Games-in-hand are not in their favor. The Phantoms have played one game more that first-place Cedar Rapids (22-9-2-1, 47 points) and the third-place Green Bay Gamblers (20-11-2-1, 43 points), and two more than Dubuque and Bloomington.
“We had a bit of a dry spell in November and December,” said Alvaro, referring to a stretch where they went 4-9. “We’re doing well now.”
Moore agreed.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re coming together as a team,” Moore said.