WILLIAMS: Phantoms make impact on Buckeyes hockey team

The Ohio State men’s hockey team wears scarlet and gray, but there is some purple and orange in the background.

When the Buckeyes send out the power-play unit, East Palestine native Matt Miller is one of the two who first patrol the point. The Columbiana County native has blossomed into one of Ohio State’s top defenders in the pursuit of a second straight Frozen Four appearance.

“He’s got a pretty good feel for the game,” Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik said of Miller. “On the power play, obviously he’s got a great shot.”

The Ohio State junior is not the only former Youngstown Phantom skating for the Buckeyes. Senior goaltender Sean Romeo (Cary, N.C.) has played about half of Ohio State’s games this season.

Senior Tommy Parran (Shaker Heights) is another top Buckeyes defensemen. He had two of the Buckeyes’ 12 blocked shots in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Michigan at Value City Arena.

Sophomore forward Austin Pooley (Dublin)a sees his fair share of ice time.

After 12 games, the Buckeyes (6-3-3, 23 points) are in first place in the Big Ten standings, with two more points than Minnesota.

With eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 22 games, Miller is tied for ninth in Buckeyes scoring. Miller was on the ice for three of the Ohio State goals against the Wolverines and had the secondary assist on Tanner Laczynski’s goal.

“The one thing I can say about Matt is he’s a hockey player,” Rohlik said. “He loves the game, and he’s learning how to train like a pro.

“I think the sky is the limit for him,” Rohlik said. “He’s got a good feel.

“To me. I think he’s scratching the surface {of his skills].”

Hockey skills run in Miller’s family. In June 2011, Miller’s older brother, J.T., was a first-round pick of the New York Rangers in the NHL Draft (15th overall). Today, he’s skating for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the NHL’s best team.

Matt Miller was in middle school when his family relocated to Pittsburgh. He returned to the Mahoning Valley in 2013 to join the Phantoms.

Over the next three seasons, Miller played 164 games. He was a member of the 2014-15 team that won 17 consecutive games and the Robertson Cup as the USHL’s top regular-season team).

Miller’s most impressive stat was his +11 mark in 2014-15, one season after he was -22 in plus/minus.

In his sophomore season at Ohio State, Miller scored 18 points including seven goals and was +12 in 37 games.

Ohio State also recruited Parran and Pooley to play in Columbus. The wild card is Romeo, who left the Phantoms after an injury-plagued 2013-14 season for the University of Maine.

Romeo played three seasons in Youngstown, the first as a backup to Matt O’Connor. In the 2012-13 season, Romeo was a workhorse, setting a Phantoms record with 53 games. He won 31 of them and was in goal during the team‘s first best-of-five playoff series victory.

As a freshman, Romeo played 23 games (7-13-1) for the Black Bears, but only two as a sophomore. He transferred to Ohio State, sitting out the 2016-17 season as a red-shirt transfer.

The move paid dividends. As a Buckeye, Romeo went 22-10-5 and played in the Frozen Four game in St. Paul, Minn., on April 5, a 2-1 loss to eventual NCAA champion Minnesota Duluth.

Rohlik said how Romeo handled his red-shirt season was impressive.

“I saw something pretty special the year he was here just practicing; the way he handled himself; the way he prepares,” Rohlik said. “His routine every day never wavers.

“And his work ethic — on the ice, off the ice — is incredible. I knew that he is a special person and last year is a tribute to him. But it really, truly started the year before.”

Romeo and Tommy Nappier have been splitting time in goal. Nappier has been sizzling with an 8-1-2 record, including Saturday’s win. Romeo (5-4-2) was in net in Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Wolverines.

Plenty of hockey remains to be played, but Ohio State is showing it could make another long postseason run.

Tom Williams is a sportswriter at The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Williams_Vindy.