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Road split pleases depleted Phantoms
Youngstown bounced
back at Muskegon
By Tom Williams
BOARDMAN
Twenty-one hours after their least impressive performance of the season, the Youngstown Phantoms responded with their best.
Saturday in Muskegon, Mich., the Phantoms stunned the top team in the USHL, rallying for a 4-3 victory over the Lumberjacks. Friday, the Lumberjacks walloped the Phantoms, 8-2.
“We played a full 60 [minutes],” forward Craig Needham said of Saturday’s win. “On Friday, I think came out strong but let off the gas after we got the lead.
“Saturday, once we got that lead, we kept [pressing] to stay on them.”
Brett Murray scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period, handing the Lumberjacks (12-2-0-0, 24 points) just their second loss of the season. Goaltender Jon Mor stopped 24 shots for his third win.
The Phantoms (5-7-0-2, 12 points) jumped up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
“Saturday, the guys stuck, as cliche as it sounds, to the small details of the game and played simple,” Phantoms head coach Brad Patterson said following Monday’s practice at Deep Freeze. “For us to be successful, that’s what we need.”
After a 1-7-0-1 start, the Phantoms have recorded points in five of their past six games.
Four of their regulars missed the weekend games. Forwards Ben Schoen and Steve Holtz are recovering from injuries. Forward Matt DeMelis has returned to his Hingham, Mass., home because of a family emergency. Defenseman Aiden Gallacher is on injured reserve and won’t play again before Christmas.
“We played with six [defensemen] all weekend and all those guys played significant minutes,” Patterson said.
The Phantoms also played two affiliate forwards — Jake Suede (Lone Star, North American Hockey League) and Cade Lemmer (Wausau West High School, Wisconsin).
“It’s hard to miss a Matty DeMelis or Ben Schoen for scoring up front,” Patterson said, adding that the key for the Phantoms was that they didn’t try to overreach. “Guys played to their abilities.”
Needham said Suede and Lemmer “stepped up to the plate when we needed them. They were able to play the role we needed. They got their chances.”
Saturday’s win made the ride back to Ohio fly by.
“Our motive always when we go on the road is to get back on the ‘Fun Bus’,” Needham said. “It would be a long seven-hour ride if we had lost again [and] make for a long weekend.
“To get of the ‘Fun Bus’ was what we were really looking forward to,” Needham said.
This weekend, the Phantoms will play twice against second-place Central Illinois (8-6-2-0, 18 points) in Bloomington, Ill.
They’ll be at home the following two weekends.