Phantoms add scoring threat in Crawford

February 17, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

Former Omaha assistant captain should boost offense

BOARDMAN

And then there were three.

When the Youngstown Phantoms opened training camp last August, only seven players were returning from last year’s fifth-place team.

Forward Garrett Hall and defenseman Carter Ekberg didn’t survive camp. Last month, defenseman Ty Farmer was traded to the Muskegon Lumberjacks for draft picks.

Monday, the Phantoms traded forward Noah Lalonde and three draft picks to the Omaha Lancers for forward Pierce Crawford, that team’s leading scorer.

The deal was made because Phantoms executives feel the team has a legitimate chance to compete for the Clark Cup.

Heading into tonight’s game at Muskegon, the Phantoms (25-13-5, 55 points) are two points ahead of the Lumberjacks and five points ahead of fifth-place Green Bay. The top four teams in the Eastern Conference qualify for the USHL’s postseason.

In 41 games, Crawford scored 14 goals and had 14 assists. In 31 games, Lalonde had one goal and three assists.

“[Crawford] fits the Phantom mold,” Phantoms head coach Brad Patterson said after Thursday’s practice at The Ice Zone. “Not only is he a good player, but he’s an unbelievable teammate and he competes.

“And that’s something we really value here.”

Patterson said Crawford will see time on the power play and as a penalty killer.

“He makes guys around him better,” Patterson said.

Patterson said Phantoms general manager Jason Koehler has been looking to acquire a forward for about two months. The team’s defense received a boost at the end of December when Steven Ruggiero rejoined the franchise after leaving Providence to return to junior hockey.

Phantoms captain Tommy Apap said the news of the trade was ”a huge bummer” because he and Lalonde were close friends in their two seasons here.

“But I think it will work out great for [Noah],” said Apap of his former linemate. “He’s going to like Omaha a lot, he’s going to play a lot there.

“We’re excited to have Pierce join us, he’s a great player,” Apap said. “He’ll bring a strong dynamic to the team.”

For now, Crawford has taken Lalonde’s spot on Apap’s line with Chase Gresock.

“Our lines have been juggled about every other weekend until the past two weekends,” Patterson said after Thursday’s morning practice. “Every line has been contributing — it’s not like a first-line, fourth-line mentality.

“We’ve got four lines who play every night.”

Crawford is committed to play for Notre Dame in the fall.

Patterson said Lalonde has not yet decided whether he will play at Michigan State this fall or spend another year in junior hockey.

The USHL trading deadline is Feb. 26. Patterson doesn’t expect much action.

“Two weeks ago, there were 30 guys traded on the same day because of a deadline with USA hockey,” Patterson said of swapping players with other junior leagues.

Assistant captain Alex Esposito, and his brother, Eric Esposito, are the other holdovers from last season.

After tonight, the Phantoms will be home for seven straight games beginning with Saturday’s contest against Team USA at the Covelli Centre. Their next road game won’t be until March 17 at Omaha against Lalonde’s Lancers.

Patterson said the best thing about playing at home during that stretch is the consistency of the practice schedule.

“With the past four or five weeks with [plenty of] travel, practices have jumped around,” Patterson said.