Archive for January, 2011

Youngstown State University looked pretty solid despite dropping a hard-fought contest to Wright State, 64-61.  Brandi Brown scored 23 points for YSU, but the Penguins were not able to get a good shot with six seconds left and fell to 3-16 and 1-7 in the Horizon League.

The first half was pretty much a coin flip with Wright State calling “heads” and guessing properly.  The Raiders took a one point lead into the locker room, 32-31, but the statistics for the opposing teams were not similar.  Wright State held a 23-12 rebounding adantage, while the Penguins enjoyed a 9-3 advantage in steals.  The Raiders got nine boards from Shaunda Sandifer and ten points from Molly Fox. The Penguins got nine points each from Brandi Brown and Kenya Middlebrooks.  It was surprising that the score was so close at the half when Wright State shot nearly 10% better from the floor than YSU.

With 14:34 left in the game, Middlebrooks hit a three to give YSU a 42-37 lead, their largest of the game to that point.  Maryum Jenkins pushed the lead to 49-43 with just under eleven minutes to go in the game when she buried a three.

With 8:47 left in the game, Wright State grabbed their first lead of the second half, 52-51, when LaShawna Thomas hit a couple of baskets for the visitors.  The Penguins would reclaim a one-point lead with 7:27 left when Brandi Brown gathered in a long rebound on the offensive end and dribbled through three Raider defenders like orange cones for a layup. Thomas tied the contest at 57 when she hit one of two free throws with 4:24 left.

After the game, Coach Boldon talked being competitive.  “Yeah, we played well, but it is still a loss. Until we get tired of losing it will not change and it really has to.  We got some good shots, but the last play was not very good, and I take responsibility for that.”

The Penguins got another solid night out of Brandi Brown, who just continually punches her card and works hard until the final whistle has been blown.  Brown’s evening consisted of 23 points and eight rebounds and the reigning Horizon League Player of The Week was just everywhere on both sides of the court.  Kenya Middlebrooks finished with 14 points.

Wright State got a good night from LaShawna Thomas who knocked down 17 points, as did her teammate Molly Fox.  Maria Bennett also chipped in 15 points for the Raiders who improved to 11-6 overall and 4-2 in the Horizon League.

The Penguins tee it up again Saturday against Detroit as part of a mens-womens doubleheader starting at 5.

Youngstown State sophomore forward Brandi Brown has been named Horizon League Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan 10.

Brown notched two double-doubles as the Penguins split a pair of road games last week.  She averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds for the week while shooting 63.6 percent from the field.

The Pomona, Calif., native had a career-high tying 29 points and a season-high 18 rebounds in YSU’s 61-55 victory over Valparaiso. She was 12-for-19 from the field in the contest as she helped Youngstown State snap losing streaks of 39 on the road and 22 in conference play.

On Saturday, Brown overcame early foul trouble to post 21 points and 10 rebounds against Butler.  She was 9-for-14 from the floor against the Bulldogs, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range.

Brown has reclaimed the top ranking among the Horizon League’s scoring leaders. She is averaging 17.65 points per contest, which is just ahead of Wright State guard LaShawna Thomas‘ average of 17.63. Brown also ranks second in the league in rebounding at 9.4 boards per contest.

Brown was also named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Nov. 29.  No other Penguin has been named Horizon League Player of the Week twice in a season since YSU joined the conference in the 2001-02 season. She is that good…

Youngstown State welcomes Wright State on Thursday for a 5:15 p.m. contest. The Penguins then host Detroiton Saturday in a 4:35pm tipoff.

Butler shot a blistering 61.5 percent and nailed 14 3-pointers to win 88-69 and offset a solid offensive effort by the Youngstown State women’s basketball team on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Youngstown State had its best road performance of the year on the offensive end, shooting 46.4 percent overall and 38.1 percent from 3-point range. YSU’s 26 field goals were also season high.

Brandi Brown led four Penguins in double figures, posting game highs with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Monica Touvelle scored a career-high 14 points while Tieara Jones had 12 and Kenya Middlebrooks added 10.

Alyssa Pittman hit six 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 18 points to lead Butler. Five other Bulldogs scored at least eight points.

Butler improved to 11-6 overall and remained undefeated in Horizon League play at 5-0. Youngstown State dropped to 3-14 overall and 1-5 in conference play.

Both teams found the net early and often in the first half as Butler shot 66.7 percent in the opening period while YSU shot 56 percent. The Penguins hit their first four attempts from 3-point range, and Touvelle’s second triple of the contest cut YSU’s deficit to 17-16 at the 11:55 mark.

YSU did not score for nearly five minutes, and Butler went on an 8-0 run to go up 25-16 with 9:04 remaining. Jones scored the next six points for YSU, which climbed back to within five twice over the next three minutes. Claire Freeman and Pittman hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to push Butler’s margin up to 11, but YSU did not let the game get away and remained in striking distance at halftime with the score 43-36.

Two free throws by Macey Nortey made the score 56-49 with 13:28 left in the second, but Butler’s Devin Brierly scored the next five points, and the Bulldogs led by double digits the rest of the way.

The game was still within 10 points after Bojana Dimitrov hit a free throw with 10:33 left, but Butler scored the next five points to back up by 15 at 67-52. The Bulldogs led by 19 at the 5:50 mark, and they closed out the contest by scoring the final five points to equal that margin.

Brown was 9-for-14 from the field and hit both of her attempts from 3-point range. Jones was 6-for-11 before fouling out with 5:51 remaining in the contest.

The Penguins will return home to play Wright State on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. The game will be the first half of a doubleheader with the YSU men’s basketball team.

The Youngstown Phantoms (12-18-2, 26pts) went to a shootout for the second time in a row against Team USA(13-6-3 , 29pts) avenging their shootout loss exactly seven days ago. Adam Berkle scored on the Phantoms final shot to pick up the 2-1 victory.

The Phantoms and Team USA each had the opportunities in the first period, but it was Team USA who found the back of the net first. With less than two minutes to play in the period, Ryan Haggerty beat Phantoms goaltender Greg Lewis to put Team USA up by one heading into the intermission. Even though the Phantoms trailed at the break they doubled up Team USA in shots, 12-6. The Phantoms and Team USA were unable to capitalize on power play opportunities in the first.

Unlike the first period, the Phantoms were outshot 13-6, but like Team USA in the opening frame, the Phantoms were the only team getting on the scoreboard. Phantoms forward Jiri Sekac scored just 2:25 into the period for his ninth goal of the year. The tying goal was assisted by defenseman Chris Bradley. The Phantoms were guilty of two penalties, but they were able to deny Team USA of any power play goals.

In the third period, neither the Phantoms nor Team USA could find the go ahead goal. The Phantoms were again outshot in the period, 18-12, but great goaltending by Lewis kept the game ties as both teams went to overtime for the second time in a week. In the overtime session, the Phantoms were forced to kill off a penalty to Scott Mayfield. A final penalty kill put Team USA 0 for 4 on the night. With three shots put on net and no goals, these two teams were headed for a shootout.

In the Phantoms’ second shootout of the year, Lewis was able to deny all but one Team USA shooter. For the Phantoms, Stu Higginsand Berkle beat USA netminder Matt McNelly to grab the 2-1 victory. The win gives Lewis his third in a row in four starts this season. On the year, Lewis has posted a 2.45 goals-against-average and .920 save percentage.

Youngstown State University seems to play well but come up just a bit short when playing quality opponents.  The Penguins did well at North Carolina State, and more recently, at Butler.  Cleveland State brought their 15-3 record to Youngstown, and the Penguins would once again play the underdog and take swings at Goliath.  Norris Cole again torched the Penguins, this time for 21 points, and guided the Vikings to a 61-51 win.

The first half was defense-oriented.  Neither team shot real well as YSU only shot 21% (6-28) and Cleveland State shot 28%.  Both teams committed 11 turnovers and neither team shot more than five free throws.  The Vikings held a 21-14 lead at intermission, which was their biggest lead of the half.  Jeremy Montgomery and Norris Cole, a couple of guys who seem like they have been playing at Cleveland State since 1997, had seven points each.  Youngstown State got seven points and five rebounds from Damian Eargle, who played well at both ends of the court.

Once the action resumed, both offenses showed signs of life.  With Cleveland State ahead 27-15, Youngstown State went on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to five points with 15:57 to go in the game.  Cleveland State’s Trevon Harmon and YSU’s Vytas Sulskis then took turns scoring for a few minutes.

Cleveland State then went on a 14-0 run to open their lead to 46-29.  The Penguins got a three from Devonte Maymon to end the run with 11:46 left in the game, but still trailed 46-32.  Maymon hit another three with 8:56 left in the game to cut the score to 46-37, but Cleveland State regain their bearings and full-court pressure was causing Youngstown State to commit a few turnovers in the last ten minutes.

Eargle hit a bucket and got fouled with 4:50 left in the game to but could not convert the charity toss, keeping YSU down by an even ten points.  Norris Cole threw the Vikings on his back hitting a couple of game-defining shots to keep YSU safely at an arms length.  A weak reach foul on Sulskis with 1:56 left in the game sent him to the bench for the night.  Sulskis finished with nine points.

With the loss, YSU dropped to 7-10 and 1-6 in the Horizon League.  Cleveland State improved to 16-3 with the win and may be peeking into the Top-25 soon.

Cleveland State got 21 from Cole and 12 from Montgomery.  Youngstown State was paced by Eargle who finished the game with 20 points and 8 rebounds.  Maymon also chipped in with 9.

After the game, Coach Slocum pointed out the major difference in the loss.  “We shot 54% in the second half, they shot 37% in the second half, and we lost by ten.  The free throw shooting tells the tale.  If we can’t make free throws, we can’t win the game.  In the second half we really executed well, but we still need to make free throws, they were the difference.”

Trevor Hoffman will probably enter the Hall of Fame on the first vote.  He will also probably go into the Hall as a San Diego Padre since he has already accepted a job working in San Diego’s front office. Is the office offering the way for the Padres front office to ease their own conscious as the team who pretty much gave up on Hoffman at the end of the 2008 season, yanking a $4 million option year away.  The reliever, who had one of his kidneys removed when he was only five years-old, got the bulk of his Hall of Fame statistics with the Padres… but…

Yeah, I have heard the arguments before…  it was a business move by the Padres.  So was the trade that got Hoffman in one of their uniforms as Gary Sheffield and anyone else worth money was sent away for prospects in 1993.  San Diego was lucky to even acquire him from Florida.  So should Hoffman go in as a Marlin?  Nah.

The Cincinnati Reds drafted Hoffman in the 11th Round of the 1989 amateur entry draft.  He was originally drafted as an infielder, but after batting only .212 through his first 103 games, Charleston Manager, Jim Lett, suggested he take up pitching.  Maybe Hoffman should go in as a Cincinnati Reds player and have Jim Lett give his induction speech.  Nah.

Before the 2009 season, Hoffman signed a $6 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.  Despite starting the season on the DL, Hoffman made the All-Star team and ended the year with 37 saves.  The Brewers re-signed Hoffman, but as the laws of nature would have it, Hoffman finally hit the wall.

What makes this whole point compelling (about Hoffman going in as a Brewer) is the fact that they found ways to get him his 600th save.  Milwaukee has found a closer in John Axford. Yet, every chance the Brewers had in the second half of the season, they would insert Hoffman for a gift save.  Gifts, that is what Hoffman’s last ten saves were.  Had he been in San Diego, they may have sent him somewhere again to dump his salary and conduct what seems like an every third year fire sale of Padres.  Not Milwaukee…  They stuck it out and let the all-time saves leader tack a few more on.  Go in as a Brewer.

The Youngstown Phantoms (11-18-2,24pts) fell to the Muskegon Lumberjacks (13-11-6,32pts) 6-2 on Friday night at the L.C. Walker Arena.   Mike Ambrosia scored his first power play goal of the year and Jordan Young picked up two assists in his first game back since December 31.

After failing to score on their first power play of the period, the Phantoms did not waste their second man advantage when Mike Ambrosia scored to put the Phantoms up 1-0. The goal was assisted by Stu Higgins and Young. The go ahead goal was scored with 5:09 left in the period. Just over a minute later, the Lumberjacks responded and tied the game at one on a goal by Isaac Kohls. The Phantoms continued to pressure Jacks netminder Paul Berrafato, but they could not find their second goal of the period and both teams went into the break tied at one. The Phantoms outshot Muskegon 14-11 and were 1 for 2 on the man advantage.

“I thought the first period was very even,” said Head Coach Curtis Carr. “Each team had their opportunities but both goalies played well to keep the game tied.”

An unusually quiet period between the Phantoms and Lumberjacks resulted in no penalties against either team but three unanswered goals by the Jacks sent the Phantoms into the break down 4-1. With 3:10 remaining in the frame, Alexx Privitera beat Matthew O’Connor with a wrist shot from the near circle. Less than a minute later, Mike Moran scored on a rebound in front of the Phantoms net to put Muskegon up 3-1. With 15 seconds left in the second period, Muskegon scored their fourth unanswered goal as Charlie Taft took a centering pass and beat O’Connor to put the Lumberjacks up 4-1 heading into the final period. The Phantoms were outshot 16-7 in the frame and trailed in shots 27-21.

“We had three bad breakdowns in the second,” said Carr. “We got away from our game plan and made some bad decisions with the puck. We tried to make some highlight real plays and they hurt us.”

The Phantoms peppered Berrafato with 13 shots but could not find the back of the net in the first 14 minutes of the third period. With 5:47 remaining in the period, Lumberjacks forward Isaac Kohls scored his second goal of the game to put the Phantoms down 5-1. With 4:18 left in the game, the Lumberjacks added another goal, this one from Chris Lochner, to put the Phantoms down 6-1. Phantoms forward Higgins was able to score on the power play, giving the Phantoms two power play goals on the night. The goal was assisted by Kevin Liss and Young at 1:37. To no one’s surprise, this rivalry continued to heat up as a total of 14 penalty minutes were issued in the final 2:30 of play. The shot totals were 40-36 in favor of the Phantoms.

“You have to give their goalie a lot of credit,” said Carr. “We know we need to put pucks and bodies on the net. Our game plan focuses around that and their goalie played extremely well stopping 38 of 40 shots.”

The Phantoms will take on Team USA tomorrow night at 7:00p.m. (EST). The Phantoms are 1-0-1 against the National Development Program this season and the most recent matchup came last week as the Phantoms fell 4-3 in their first shootout of the season.

“It should not be too hard to motivate our guys for tomorrow,” said Carr. “Anytime you play a team as good as the National Team you know you need to bring your best game. We know we need to be better and I expect us to be ready to go.”

One of the new buttons Coach Jerry Slocum has to press this year is named Blake Allen.  The Blake Allen button is versatile in the sense that it can start, come off the bench, shoot, score, pass, rebound, and play defense.  Just a sophomore, Allen has been turning heads as YSU’s most consistent scorer over the past couple of weeks.  He has a good attitude, is enjoying the college experience, and can hoop with the best of them.  Along with his roommates Devonte Maymon, DuShawn Brooks, and Tre Brewer, the future looks a little brighter than the past for Youngstown State fans.

Paneech: Last year this team was harder to watch.  With only three returning players, it is almost a whole new group.  You guys are, for the most part, competitive.  What’s the team feeling these days?

Allen: I think we gel as a team.  Guys genuinely like each other on and off of the court.  That has been a big part of this group and an important part of building the trust factor within this group.

Paneech: What factors have given you more minutes, and what have you done to maximize the opportunity?

Allen: I just tried to always work hard at practice and to take advantage of any opportunity that I was given.  I try to stay at the gym as much as possible.  It was difficult early on to adjust to the Division-I style, but I think I have come along and am playing as hard as I can trying to help the team win.

Paneech: Familiarize the Youngstown State fans with Blake Allen, tell everyone how you got here.

Allen: Out of high school, I went to a prep school in Virginia and last year I went to a community college in Oklahoma.  I am from Tampa, Florida.  (Laughs)  I’m still adjusting to this weather.  Virginia and Oklahoma were both colder than what I was use to, but it snows a little more out here.  I try to stay bundled up.

Paneech: You have had an array of coaches throughout your upbringing to get to this point.  Have you ever had one like Coach Slocum?

Allen: He is definitely a very good coach.  He has a very sophisticated offense that gets our guys as many shots and opportunities as possible.  The offense is very well set to make plays.  I have really enjoyed playing for him so far.  He definitely has a sense of humor, but when the game is going, he only cares about getting 40 solid minutes from the team.

Paneech: How do you like Youngstown the community, and Youngstown State the college?

Allen: I like the area and the people have treated me really well.  The school part is very challenging.  It is a lot to keep up with all of the schoolwork, especially during the season with practices, traveling, and distractions.  I think I have been able to adjust to that as well, I was satisfied with my first semester and hope I can maintain that over the time that I am here.  It gets tough, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’m an accounting major.  I like numbers and my aunt is an accountant, so I’m interested.

Paneech: Who are you closest with and what do you guys do when you get some spare time?

Allen: I’m really close with all of my roommates – Devonte [Maymon], DB [DuShawn Brooks], and Tre [Brewer].  We hang out quite a bit, and I am pretty good friends with all three.

Paneech: What goes through your head when you hit the floor at North Carolina State?

Allen: That game was a memorable one for me because it was actually my first start.  I was a little bit nervous, but I just told myself to go out there and play as hard as I possibly can and to let everything that I have done for preparation up to that point take over.  It was definitely the biggest crowd I have ever played in front of.  I had thoughts like “wow” early in the game, but once you get out there and start playing, it’s just basketball and they are humans, just like we are.

Paneech: Do you have a favorite team or player?

Allen: I love the Los Angeles Lakers, I am a huge Kobe Bryant fan.  Being from Florida, I kind of grew up an Orlando Magic fan.  The whole Shaq and Penny thing was going on when I was a kid, but I switched over to LA.  I also watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and I watch tennis sometimes.

One Word Answers

Favorite TV Show: The Game.

Favorite Movie Ever: American Gangster.

Your Order At Taco Bell: Five crunchy tacos and a Baja Blast.

Favorite All-Time Football Player: Mike Alstott.

Favorite Drink: Hawaiian Punch.

Song On Your ipod That People Wouldn’t Think: My Gospel tracks.

What’s Worse, Doctor or Dentist? Dentist.

Favorite Cartoon Character: Scooby Doo.

Toppings On a Pizza: Pepperoni.

Name The Other Cast Members Besides Scooby: (laughs) Fred, Shaggy, Velma, and the other one…  Daffney I think?

If this YSU group that Slocum has assembled can stay together for the next few years, expect more wins and dare I say competing for championships.  Blake Allen has the mindset to be a key component in the development of a very young team and has some fire power around him to ride the wave of the ascent.

 

Sophomore Brandi Brown tied her career high with 29 points and the Youngstown State women’s basketball team made some key free throws down the stretch to beat Valparaiso 61-55 on Thursday night at the Athletics Recreation Center.

The win on the road was the first for the Penguins away from the Beeghly Center since March 8, 2008, which came at UIC. It also snaps a 22-game Horizon League losing streak dating back to a win over the Crusaders at the Beeghly Center on March 7, 2009.

The Penguins are now 3-13 overall and improve to 1-4 in the Horizon League while Valpo drops to 3-13 and 0-4.

Brown was 12-of-19 on the night and also finished with 18 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass. Brown had previously scored 29 points earlier this year against IPFW.

Kenya Middlebrooks finished with 13 points while Boki Dimitrov added 11 in a winning effort. Combined from the free-throw line, those two players were 10-of-12. Valpo’s Betsy Adams was the only Crusader to reach double figures as she finished with 20.

The Penguins came out strong from the opening tap and never trailed in the contest.

Youngstown State came out and took control of the game early scoring 16 of the first 19 points taking a 16-3 lead at the 14:07 mark on a Brown basket.

YSU opened the game scoring the first five points before Valpo got on the scoreboard on a 3-pointer by Adams. But the Guins scored the next 11 points as Brown scored the first five, Dimitrov and Nortey each followed with layups and then Brown capped the run with a jumper.

The Crusaders cut the deficit to 18-15 as the Guins picked up just two points on a Middlebrooks bucket in a 9:06 span.

YSU led 23-17 with 4:23 left following two Middlebrooks free throws and a 3-pointer by Dimitrov. Adams pulled the Crusaders with three on a 3-pointer, but the Guins scored five straight to go back in front by eight. Valpo drained two 3-pointers in the final 2:12 to get within four at the break.

The Guins held on to lead 30-26 at the break. YSU shot 40.7 percent in the first half making 11-of-27 attempts while Valpo shot 37 percent (10-of-27)

In the first 20 minutes, Brown had 14 points and six rebounds while Dimitrov and Middlebrooks each had seven points. The Penguins protected the ball well committing only four turnovers.

In the second half, Valpo cut the deficit to 32-30 in the early going, but six straight YSU points forced the Crusaders to play catchup the rest of the night.

Valpo had crept back to 53-49 with just over two minutes to go, but Brown’s putback of Tieara Jones miss put the Guins up six at the 2:02 mark.

On their next two possessions, the Crusaders missed a shot and threw an errant pass out of bounds.

Dimitrov stepped to the line and drained two free throws with 44.3 seconds left to put YSU ahead 57-49.

Valpo answered with a layup by Skyler Gick with 38.7 ticks left, but was forced to foul. With 35.4 seconds remaining Dimitrov split a pair of free throws, but Valpo’s Rashida Ray missed the front end of a one-and-one and Jones corralled the rebound and dished to Middlebrooks who was fouled.

Middlebrooks drained two free throws with 16.3 seconds left pushing the lead to 60-51. Valpo scored four straight points before Dimitrov split another pair of charity tosses with 4.7 seconds for the final margin.

The Penguins wrap up their Indiana road trip on Saturday afternoon when they visit Butler. Tipoff at Hinkle Fieldhouse is set for 2 p.m. The contest can be heard on 570 WKBN.

Ty Loney is still learning how to put on a serious face when he has to.  His father, Troy Loney, was a member of the great Pittsburgh Penguins championship teams of the 1990’s.  Loney, like his team, has been through an emotional circus this season.  He missed some games when he was injured, but says he is healthy and ready to go.  Don’t think Ty is getting a chance to skate at this level because of his last name, he is good on his own merits.  College scouts, pay attention, he is unsigned.  The thing someone who doesn’t spend much time around Loney would notice is that he battles not to smile.  I got to catch up with Ty after a recent practice at the Ice Zone.

Paneech: Do you have a college in mind, or are you open to whoever offers?

Loney: Not really.  Obviously, the big name schools are in the back of your mind.  It is all pretty much based on what the school is looking for at that time.  I am talking to schools, it’s not like anything isn’t happening.  Hopefully, within the next couple of months, I will know more.  If I don’t get a scholarship this year, I would probably keep playing in the USHL.

Paneech: Do you think scouts are waiting to see if you can play a healthy stretch?

Loney: I guess, yeah.  I have been under the radar a little bit, so I have to keep playing hard.  As long as the team is playing well and we can keep winning, that would be the best thing for me.

Paneech: You are on a real productive line with Jiri Sekac and Cody Strang.  Is the chemistry natural or do you guys work hard at practice to be in sync?

Loney: It is chemistry.  On and off the ice, me, Strang, and Jiri gel really well together.  The coaches help us out a lot and I think we all gain confidence by feeding off of each others energy.

Paneech: Your father was an NHL All-Star in Pittsburgh.  Does he push hockey or college on you, and what is he doing these days?

Loney: My father is in pharmaceutical management.  He is still around the game and coaches my little brother.  He coached me all of my life.  As far as the education part goes, I don’t know.  I might get involved in marketing or teaching, I’m really pretty wide-open.  My goal is to get the best education at the best possible hockey school.

Paneech: All of those big names:  Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Kevin Stevens, Mark Recchi…  Who did you get to like out of those guys?

Loney: Well, I was about two years old whenever that happened.  I skate with the alumni guys and have gotten to know a lot of them pretty well.  Bryan Trottier, um  Mr. Trottier is a really nice guy.  He is a lot of fun to be around and is very energetic and he was a great player.  He has been very fun to skate with at the alumni practices.

Paneech: Current NHL Hockey, are you a fan and do you watch?  Who do you like?

Loney: Yeah, I watch all the time.  My favorite player has got to be Rick Nash or Jerome Iginla.  I have always loved Iginla ever since he started in the league.  Both of my parents are from Alberta, and the Flames were the Alberta team, so I grew up on Iginla.  He is a hard worker and a goal-scorer, just a great guy to be around too.  I was lucky enough to meet him when I was younger.

Paneech: What has been your favorite part about Youngstown?

Loney: I love doing the community service stuff.  Me and Dylan [Margonari] were talking about it and we both really enjoy that.  We helped out at a school the other day, and it was just fantastic.  We would do as much of that stuff as we had the chance to.  As far as what we do when we aren’t tied up with hockey stuff, we just all like to hang out.  I’m 18 years old, so it’s not like we go hang out in bars as we are not old enough, nor really want to.  We will go eat, hang out at the mall, or play some video games.

Paneech: What is life on the road like?

Loney: I love the bus.  I don’t know what it is, but as soon as I get situated, I pass out on that thing.  I hit my bunk and it’s over.  Jiri [Sekac] doesn’t like the bus much.  He is right across from me and gets bored watching me sleep. I don’t mind the bus trips at all.

Paneech: What has it been like playing for Coach Carr?

Loney: He is a great coach and a great guy.  He wants the best out of all of us and even when it seems he is being hard on us, he is always right.  He is fun to be around and gets serious when he needs to be serious.  All of the coaches we have are positive role models trying to put us in the right direction.

Paneech: Who are the people on the team you are closest to, and conversely, who have you had problems with?

Loney: I get along really well with Jiri [Sekac].  We are both jokesters and like to have some fun when the time is right.  Me and [Ben] Paulides have some battles.  We are good friends, so everything always ends up fine.

One Word Answers

Favorite Meat: Steak.

Favorite Fast Food: Chik-Fil-A.

Toppings On A Pizza: Pepperoni.

Favorite Movie Ever: Anything with Will Smith. iRobot.

Ultimate Statistical Goal: A point per game.

Favorite Cereal: Captain Crunch.

Favorite Cartoon Character: Goofy or Bugs Bunny.

Favorite Season: Winter.

Sport You Played Other Than Hockey, Position: Baseball, Shortstop.

Whats Worse, Dentist Or Doctor? Doctor.

A Fruit You Absolutely Hate: Bananas.