The Youngstown Phantoms (9-17-1,19pts) could not finish the year 2010 with a win as they lost a tough one to the Indiana Ice (13-10-2,28pts) by the score of  5-4. Mike Ambrosia recorded an assist extending his point streak to four games in the losing effort.

After a quiet ten minutes to start the first period, Phantoms forward John Fritsche was sent to the penalty box for tripping at 10:22. The power play was killed off by the Phantoms but the momentum gained while on the man advantage gave the Ice they edge they needed. David Johnstone tipped a pass from Ferlin behind Matthew O’Connor to take the 1-0 lead. Just over four minutes later on a Phantoms power play, Cody Strang banged home an Adam Berkle rebound for his sixth goal of the season. The secondary assist on the tying goal was credited to Jiri Sekac.

Forty-one seconds after the Phantoms goal, forward Ryan Belonger took advantage of a misplayed puck by Ice netminder Casey DeSmith to put the Phantoms up 2-1. The goal was unassisted and it was Belonger’s ninth goal of the season. With 1:42 remaining in the first period, Berkle was issued a two minute penalty for elbowing. Before the Phantoms touched the puck to stop play, Ice forward Will Aide dropped the gloves with Berkle in response to his thrown elbow. On the ensuing Ice power play, Ferlin was able to tie the game at two right off the faceoff in the Phantoms zone. The goal was Ferlin’s second point of the first period and it was assisted by Blake Coleman. At the end of the first, the two teams were tied at two but the Phantoms were able to outshoot Indiana 14-9.

“We responded really well tonight,” said Head Coach Curtis Carr. “After a tough game after the break and the game against Des Moines our guys came out ready to play tonight. It was a tough day of travel and to play a hot Indiana team they way we did, there is nothing but positive things to say after this one.”

Tempers continued to flare as the Phantoms and Ice moved toward the midway point of the second period. With Indiana outshooting the Phantoms 8-5 with 11:35 remaining in the period, Andrew Sinelli dropped the gloves with Ice forward Chris Martin. The Phantoms were a post away from taking the lead when Quinn Smith took a feed from JT Stenglein and made a fantastic move around an Ice defender. Smtih’s shot rang off the far post leaving the game tied at two.

About a minute later on a Phantoms power play, DeSmith made a great save to deny Sekac and on the ensuing dump into the Phantoms zone O’Connor played the puck right to the stick of Ice forward Coleman. With O’Connor out of the net and up around the hash marks, Coleman had a wide open net to shoot at as he gave Indiana a 3-2 lead on the shorthanded goal. Responding to what could have been a back breaking goal Phantoms forward Ty Loney scored to tie the game at three. The Phantoms goal was assisted by Sekac giving him his second assist of the night. The second period ended with the Phantoms on the power play giving them thirty seconds of carry over time. The Phantoms again outshot the Ice 15-10 giving them a two period advantage of 29-19.

The Phantoms could not capitalize on their carry over power play but on their second man advantage of the period Stu Higgins put a one timer in the back of the net to give the Phantoms a 4-3 lead. Ambrosia and Ben Paulides were credited with the assists on Higgins’fifth goal of the year. Eleven seconds later Daniil Tarasov beat O’Connor to tie the game back up at four. Tarasov benefited from a fluky bounce in front of the net as the puck made its way across the line. The Ice were then able to take the lead on their own power play as Tarasov scored his second of the game to give the Ice a 5-4 lead with six minutes to play. Like the fourth goal, the puck this time bounced off of a Phantoms player in front of the net before it crossed the line. The Phantoms pulled O’Connor with under a minute to play but the equalizer was never found as the comeback effort was spoiled by Indiana. The Phantoms were outshot in the third period 14-8 but held the advantage at the end of the game 37-33. The Phantoms recent history repeated itself against the Ice as three of the five Indiana goals came off of bad bounces on its way into the net.

“I have never seen so many bad bounces against one team,” said Carr. “In my entire hockey career I have never seen this many bounce in one season. We are not making excuses but it would be nice if one or two or those bounces would go our way.”

The Phantoms return to the Covelli Centre on January 7 and 8 for games against the Sioux City Musketeers and the Muskegon Lumberjacks. January 7 is Mac ‘N’ Cheese Night sponsored by the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and January 8 is Military Appreciation Night. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available by calling 330-747-7825.