Phantoms president wants team to have bigger Valley presence

By GREG GULAS

sports@vindy.com

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Andrew Goldman, the new Youngstown Phantoms team president, has quite a few goals for his USHL franchise.

Paramount is to increase the team’s presence in the Mahoning Valley.

“We want to be a key stakeholder in the community,” Goldman told the Curbstone Coaches during Monday’s weekly meeting at Avion Banquet Center. “Also, we very much appreciate our core hockey fans as our corporate sponsors and season tickets holders are important to us.

“We also want to appeal to others and in trying to do so, we’re hoping to create an entire game-day entertainment experience that goes beyond hockey,” Goldman said, “Hockey is a piece of the puzzle, but we’re looking to involve fans who are new to hockey as well as those who understand what an incredible opportunity it is to watch and enjoy hockey at this level and for an incredibly reasonable price.”

Among the community activities of which the Phantoms are most visible is their involvement with area schools and Akron Children’s Hospital.

“We want to maintain a presence in schools with everything from reading to children to anti-bullying campaigns,” Goldman said. “We want kids to understand how incredibly important it is to go to school.

“We stress the importance of camaraderie in the lockerroom and being a good teammate and how important it is to be a good teammate in school.”

He added that the team is increasing a relationship with Akron Children’s Hospital.

“Reading to kids who are in the hospital, delivering presents at Christmas and maintaining a presence is important to us,” Goldman said. “We have an Akron Children’s Hospital ‘Super Hero Day’ coming up where they bring the children and corporate sponsors to the game.

“The team will wear specialty game jerseys courtesy of K-1 Sportswear,” Goldman said. “After the game they will be raffled off with all proceeds earmarked for Akron Children’s Hospital.”

When the Phantoms host Eastern Conference foe Chicago on Friday, the team will honor the UAW as they help raise money for GM employees affected by the announcement that the Lordstown plant will be closing.

On Saturday, the Phantoms will honor the Girard High school football team, the Division IV state runner-up.

Accompanying Goldman was assistant coach Jeff Potter, who said the team (9-9-0-3, 21 points) is playing well after weathering a slow start.

“We didn’t start like we had hoped, going 0-6-2,” Potter said. “We’re 9-3-1 in 13 games since and the key has been consistency.

“Everyone has kicked their game up a notch,” Potter said. “We’re growing and expect to keep doing so over the course of the season. I like our consistency over the last month.”

Potter said the teams to beat are Muskegon in the Eastern Conference, and Tri-City, Des Moines, Waterloo and Sioux City in the Western Conference.

“If we continue our progression, we can be there in the end because we’ve been very competitive with the top tier teams,” Potter said.