Phantoms tally 6 unassisted goals in romp

Phantoms win for 7th time in 8 games; goaltender Stoever stops 30 shots

Staff report

MADISON, WIS.

Phantoms goaltender Christian Stoever made the most of his first start in three weeks.

Stoever stopped 30 shots as the Phantoms pummeled the Madison Capitols, 7-2, on Saturday at Bob Suter Capitol Ice.

Stoever’s last start was on Feb. 22 in Des Moines, Iowa, in a 5-2 loss to the Buccaneers. Chad Veltri started the next seven games, winning six of them and losing once in a shootout.

Veltri played in Friday’s 4-3 victory over the Chicago Steel.

Craig Needham scored two goals as Youngstown won for the seventh time in the last eight games. Six of its goals were unassisted.

The Phantoms (29-18-1-4, 63 points) will complete their three-game road trip this afternoon in a rematch with the Capitols (13-34-4-2, 30).

The win keeps Youngstown a point behind second-place Chicago and Cedar Rapids and three points ahead of fifth-place Team USA in the jumbled USHL Eastern Conference standings.

Almost two minutes into the game, Tristan Amonte scored an unassisted goal to get the Phantoms rolling.

Needham’s first goal came a little more than two minutes later.

The Capitols sliced the Phantoms’ lead to 2-1 when Brady Smith scored an even-strength goal.

The Phantoms took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission after Connor MacEachern scored.

Needham and Trevor Kuntar scored unassisted goals in the second period for a 5-1 lead.

John Larkin earned the Phantoms’ only assist of the game when he set up defense partner Aiden Gallacher for a goal with 16 seconds remaining in the middle frame.

The Capitols replaced starting goaltender Joseph Lamoreaux with Garrett Mackay for the third period.

Liam Robertson scored for the Phantoms’ 7-1 lead.

The Phantoms had no power-play opportunities while their penalty killers went 1-for-2.

Lamoreaux made 17 saves and Mackay seven.