Youngstown State University Coach Jerry Slocum thinks his Penguins will face their toughest test of the year at Xavier on Friday.  “Xavier is the best team we will face all year.  They are better than Pitt and Butler.  They have a potential NBA Lottery Pick in Jordan Crawford who is a transfer from Indiana, and they are very big inside.”

Experience should help the Penguins improve on last year’s 11-19 record.    Youngstown State is returning 10 letterwinners and four starters from 2008-09.  Slocum said this difference between last year and this year going into the opener are night and day.  “This year at practice, when a player makes a mistake, they point it out before you can even correct it.  It is much more productive to start with so many things in tact already.  It is much better trying to prepare this team when coaching from a positive perspective.” 

This will be the fourth time that YSU has played Xavier, but the first in the past 60 years,  with the Penguins losing all three previous meetings.  Xavier was a Sweet 16  team in last year’s NCAA Tournament and have seemed to somehow gotten better.  The game will be televised on FOX Sports Ohio and Robb Scmidt will be calling the action on AM-570. Tipoff is set for 7:30.

The Penguins will return home to host Hiram on Sunday.  The Hiram contest starts at 4:05.  Quite a contrast in opponents, but Slocum sees the variance as a non-issue, but rather ‘our first two games’, downplaying Xavier as a big test and Hiram as a potential laugher.

DeAndre Mays, who was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team last season averaging 10.7 points and 3.5 assists per game, said the Penguins want to prove things this year.  “Practice has been loud.  All the guys are taking the Xavier game seriously, we want to prove things this season.  Last year, communication was a problem, this year we are communicating better and with our experience, the hard work should pay off.”  Slocum clarified the ‘practice has been loud’ comment made by Mays as a positive.  Slocum stated then when practice is quiet, the team is off of its’ rhythm and having a bad day, but when things get loud, the team is doing the right things, and practice has been loud.

When things seem to be going your way, they really are.  The Youngstown Phantoms couldn’t buy a break in their first three home games.  On this night, seemingly everything went the Phantoms way in a 3-2 victory over a very respectable Green Bay Gamblers team.  Matt Mahalak (pictured) stopped 33 shots in net and the Phantoms were limited to just nine shots of their own in the victory.

The Phantoms were first to score in this one as Taylor Holstrom connected at the 12:12 mark of the first period. The goal was Holstrom’s fifth and was the second game in a row he was able to tally. Nick Czinder was credited with an assist, his third consecutive game with a point. The first period would end with Youngstown holding a 1-0 lead on the Holstrom goal.

The Phantoms took advantage of a Gamblers penalty at the 6:17 mark of the second period when Scott Mayfield scored his fifth goal of the season.  Mayfield was assisted by Dan Senkbeil on the power play score that saw the Phantom lead increase to 2-0.

Brian Dowd’s fourth goal of the season increased the Phantoms lead to 3-0. Dowd was the recipient of a beautiful feed from Andrej Sustr who took a lead pass from goaltender Matt Mahalak, both credited with assists. The goal came at the 12:43 mark of the second. With only seven shots on goal, the Phantoms were playing the most effective hockey they possibly could to this point. The assist credited to Mahalak was the first point recorded by a Phantoms netminder on the young season.

At the end of the second period, Green Bay had 20 shots on goal and nothing to show for it. The Phantoms, on the other hand, only took eight shots on goal but were successful on three of the eight shots to hold a 3-0 lead.

The Gamblers hit the scoreboard at the 6:35 mark of the third period when Anders Lee connected on his eighth goal of the season. Anders was assisted by Nick Jensen and Matt Stewart.

Brett Gensler was awarded a penalty shot when he was pulled down from behind on a breakaway chance at the 9:59 mark. Steve Summerhays turned Gensler away on the chance to keep the score 3-1 in favor of the Phantoms.

Just eleven seconds later, Ryan Furne connected on a quick strike to put the Gamblers one goal away at 3-2. Furne was assisted by Lee on the goal, and suddenly the Phantoms went from a potential 4-1 lead on the Gensler penalty shot to just a 3-2 advantage.  Fortunately for Youngstown, the Gamblers were unsuccessful in trying to knot the game and time would also be on Youngstown’s side as the home team was able to hold off a furious Gamblers rally in the final session.

Matt Mahalak was sensational  for the Phantoms between the pipes as the Gamblers took almost four times the shots as the Phantoms did. Mahalak improved to 4-1-1 on the season in stopping 33 shots. The Phantoms managed three goals on just nine shots.

Coach Bob Mainhardt was thrilled by the effort put forth by Mahalak.  “We definitely got a little lucky tonight.  Thanks to Matt Mahalak, we were able to pull that one out.  We had some really good opportunities, but we were killing penalties almost the entire second period.  Give my guys credit, they stayed pretty focused.”

Sixteen-year-old Matt Mahalak was also happy to get a win at home.  He was not even with the team last week as he was representing the US team in Slovakia.  “I played with the USA under 17 team and we went 3-0 in Slovakia.  It was a tremendous experience and I got to play against the host team.  I got to work with alot of people and pick up some pointers.  It was great to come back, get my first start at home and help the team get a win.”

Several Phantoms regulars were not dressed for action.  Goaltender Jordan Tibbett will be sidelined at least a couple of weeks with a broken hand.  Richard Young had stitches in his leg but is expected to return to action this week.  Luke Eibler, who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, is also expected to dress for both games this weekend.

The Phantoms improved to 7-4-1 with the win and Green Bay dropped to 7-4-2.  These two teams will hook up again this week on Friday night.  Joey Fatone, of N’Sync and Dancing With The Stars notoriety, and celebrity chef Guy Fieri will be on hand for Friday’s game.

Saturday will be a special night.  Anyone who reads this page regularly knows how much I support the fundraising efforts of Luke Holko.  Saturday, $3 of every ticket sold will be donated to the Luke Holko Foundation.  Please come to this game if you have not had the opportunity to check out the Phantoms yet.  If I were on a gameshow playing for a charity, this would be the one I would select.  For the hockey community that may be unaware of who Luke Holko is or how he was injured by a foul ball at a Scrappers game this Summer, feel free to click here for a story published on Paneech.com the night the incident happened.  Please stop by the Vindicator press box and say hello.  For those who do not know who I am, I will be wearing my blue “Pray For Luke” bracelet.

And the Penguin band played on.  The above photo was taken at last week’s Youngstown State Homecoming Game.  The band really sounds good and they do a nice job playing and moving around.  The amount of time that these folks spend practicing is very underappreciated by football fans sometimes.  Go buy a hot dog at the two minute warning and show some respect to these students who are literally playing their hearts out every week.

Here are some stories from other great sites:

• PSAMP shares another moment from the wide world of unlicensed Pittsburgh Steelers sports memorabilia.  Take a look at Ben Robosberger.
• The Cage Doctors inform us that Youngstown’s own Ed O’Neill, of Al Bundy fame,  is a trained black belt.
• Sports Untapped takes a look at the betting power rankings in the NFL for Week #10.
• NESW Sports launches a new feature called 8 random videos with my buddy David Chalk moderating.  This week videos focus on the Cavs spanking practices, the Bucs orange throwbacks, and the night Jaromir Jagr almost killed Sean Avery.
• Josh Q. Public notes the quick impact of a returning Troy Polamalu to a Steelers defense that always has a big play or two up their sleeve.
• Not Qualified To Comment finds Chicago sportswriter Rick Morrissey literally eating a column he wrote in 2007 (with salsa) that said Joakim Noah would never amount to a useful NBA player.
• No Guts, No Glory warns that you better learn who Bill Martin is or you will be roughed up.  (Martin is the Michigan Athletic Director).

This week is a special week for 12 individuals who will be playing in their final home game ever at YSU.  Saturday’s game pits Youngstown State University (4-5, 2-4) against Illinois State University (5-4, 4-2) in the home finale for the Penguins.  It also marks Senior Day, a celebration of the hard work put in by the leaders.  Parents and friends will come out to see YSU Seniors give it one last go at The Ice Castle.

The twelve YSU Seniors are a pretty unique group.  Not once this entire season have I heard a Senior on this team make excuses or point fingers of blame toward underclassmen, coaches, or each other.   They have won and lost as they should, a unified team.   I can see why these twelve are so special and respected by those learning from them.  Paneech.com congratulates this very unique and tight-knit group of young men for striving to be leaders on and off the field.

The 12 Seniors:

• Kevin Smith, Brandon Summers, Draye Ersery, Dana Brown, Lenny Wicks, Jabari Scott, Ben Nowicki, Brian Mellott, Donald Jones, Aaron Pitts, Crispin Fernandez, and Mychal Savage. Congratulations Seniors! Not for the wins and losses, but for never quitting, playing hard, and most importantly setting an example for the future.

So Saturday marks the end for some.  Illinois State is no free lunch either.  The Redbirds have continued to improve all year and run a wide open offense that YSU has not been used to seeing much of this season.  Coach Heacock was complimentary of the Redbirds saying, “They have alot of things in the arsenal.  They play with alot of emotion and seem to just get better every week.  We have to play a great game to win this week.”

Heacock seems to genuinely like this group of Seniors.  “There is no more important of a week than Senior Week.  It’s all about these 12 seniors this week.  There is nothing like it, and it is a game they will never forget being a part of, their last game at home.  We, as coaches, want to find ways to get them all on the field.  We used to start all of the Seniors, some out of position, but we had more than 24 a few years back, so that tradition doesn’t exist anymore.”

To hear Senior Brian Mellott talk about Heacock proved that the respect is mutual.  “Coach Heacock is here 18 hours a day battling for his life right now.  He handles things with class and dignity.  I’m not badmouthing anyone, but when some guys got here, the transformation they underwent as people under Coach Heacock was very obvious.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the early forecast is calling for cloudy skies with a high of 58 degrees.  The game will also be televised on tape-delay on MyYTV with Chad Krispinsky and Chris Burch.

Penguin Notes

• Last year, Illinois State won a wild one, 54-44, at Hancock Stadium.
• The series is tied 9-9 and is seperated only by one point (446-445) in favor of the Redbirds.
• Illinois State Coach Brock Spack makes his initial appearance against Youngstown State.
• The last time YSU had a 60+ yards passing touchdown was last season against Illinois State when Brandon Summers hit Donald Jones for a score.  It was also the last time YSU went over the 500-yard mark for a game.

Kelly Pavlik wants to get a fight in by then end of 2009.  Mike Pavlik, Kelly’s father and co-manager, has confirmed the date and opponent to be Miguel Espino (20-2-1, 9 KO’s).  Pavlik (35-1, 31 KO’s) has been battling a staph infection for months which caused the cancellation of two scheduled fights against Paul Wiliams.  The fight will take place on the campus of Youngstown Stae University’s Beeghly Center.

Espino has rattled off 11 straight wins, six by knockout, since losing to Peter Manfredo in 2004.  The fight will be a Top Rank Pay-Per-View event which will co-feature two fights from Cancun.  When Pavlik beat Marco Antonio Rubio in nine round at the Covelli Centre in February, Top Rank fielded a similar package of combining locations with co-features.  The other two fights on the “Latin Fury” PPV are Humberto Soto (49-7-2, 32 KO’s) moving up to 135-pounds to challenge Jesus Chavez (44-6, 30 KO’s), and Vanes Martirosyan (25-0, 16 KO’s) against a yet to be named opponent for the vacant NABF Jr. Middleweight Championship.

Pavlik was hospitalized a couple of weeks ago with a 104 degree temperature, skin discoloration, and a racing heartbeat.  Therapy has done him well in recent days as the champ continues on his road to recovery.  Having followed Pavlik from the beginning, I can tell you that he will duck no one, including Paul Williams.  Williams’ Manager, George Peterson, was recently quoted as saying, “We weren’t surprised.  This is really the fourth time now, so this fight will never take place.  We’re going to move on.  There’s no injury, he [Pavlik] just needs a heart transplant.”  Very observant Mr. Peterson, very observant indeed. 

Jack Loew would be the first person to tell you that he will not let a fighter who is not at 100%, which Pavlik was not even close to, enter a fight.  When I interviewed Loew in May, he was quick to blame himself for allowing the Bernard Hopkins fight to even take place.  “The writing was on the wall twice, and I chose to ignore it.  In the future and moving ahead, if I have a fighter who is not at 100%, whether it be Kelly Pavlik or a 15-year old Golden Gloves entrant, he will not fight.”  I am sure Loew would vouch, as would many others who have seen Pavlik’s ailing hand, that to be ready for Williams would have been catastrophic at best.

The national media can say what they want about Pavlik.  He is used to people doubting his abilities and was quick to point out that nobody picked him to beat Jermaine Taylor, either time they fought.  Keep doubting him, but never question the heart.  If it were his decision alone, he would have tried to fight Paul Williams with one hand.  Management and trainers will not let that happen.  Don’t worry Paul, he will still be the man to beat at the 160-pound mark next year.  Hope you win yours.

I have been at this blogging stuff for almost a year and I have tried to get credentialed to as many things as possible.  I have had moderate success, but the rejection I have received is for what I think are the wrong reasons.  Most of the time when I am denied a credential to a concert or major sporting event, I am handed the line that the performing party will only credential major traditional media such as television or newspapers.  I understand that advertising is a reason why those outlets receive preferential treatment and I respect both the local newspaper and the local television stations.

My first break for a credential came with the now defunct Mahoning Valley Thunder arena football team.  I called and asked, explained that I get some hits and outlined what I could do to help promote their product.  The powers that be issued the credential and I was extensive in my coverage of a team that would pack it in at the end of the year.  When I look at my hits and where they are coming from today, people are still looking at player profile pieces I did on Quorey Payne, Larry Harrison, Blake Powers, and Tom Zetts.  I took about 95% of my own pictures, made sure to have a player profile up every week, did game previews and summaries, and received the respect of the people who took a chance on me.

My next big break was the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.  The Scrappers are the short-season Single-A affiliate for the Cleveland Indians with Travis Fryman as their manager.  I embraced the Scrappers project much the same way I did the Thunder.  Profiles, pictures, game summaries, and extensive coverage.  Overall, I feel the Scrappers also liked the efforts I put forth to cover their team. 

I consider Youngstown State to be a sports school.  With a national reputation as the school where Jim Tressel came from, I was so honored to gain access to YSU sporting events.  I am currently covering football, but mens and womens basketball are right around the corner and I will be as extensive as I ever have.  This was the biggest credential I have received to date and it really keeps me busy.  I know players see their profiles because I receive favorable feedback from them.  YSU has “traditional media” covering their games and I am thrilled that I am rubbing elbows with the best in the area.

The most recent credential came from the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.  Same deal as above in the sense that I am trying to cover this team to the best of my ability.  It is harder to take pictures at these games because of the glass, but I am doing my best to give the readers a good shot.  This season is young but I feel comfortable with the coaches, players, and front office people who have extended the olive branch to the blogger.

Toward the end of the 2009 baseball season, I decided to take a chance and call the Pirates and Indians to maybe get a credential to one game at each place and interview anyone I could.  Both markets refused to give me a credential stating non-traditional media with no affiliation could not be awarded credentials.  I didn’t argue because if it is their policy, then so be it.  The way I see it, baseball attendance in these two markets is not soaring and if they want to roil in disaster, it is obviously less pressure on me to find positive things to write about.  The 4500 people who went to a Pirates home game surely would have spotted me and filed some form of complaint with Bud Selig or Pirate Management.  That nearly empty press box would have needed a good cleaning after I got done with one game and I am well aware that cuts were made and it might be hard to send Ryan Doumit back up there with a broom with his shin hurting so badly.

My latest endeavor of credential seeking failure comes from the land of music.  Concert promoters carry the same belief as MLB, an unlikely Rock & Jock connection.  They too feel that traditional media is worthy of a credential.  Mind you, a credential at a concert means you have permission to take pictures for the first three songs, there are no interviews or backstage access.  To be denied the privelage to snap a few photos was upsetting.  Traditional media was allowed to do so.  This is brilliant for many reasons. 

Firstly,  I have no beefs with the local newspaper, I think they do tremendous work and the promotional articles are on time and to the point, they work.  However, when a guy in New York is looking for a review on Styx, Daughtry, or Kelly Clarkson (all denials for me ), I don’t think he is going to hop in the Jeep and drive to Youngstown to read the local newspaper for a review.  If these people were on the fence about buying a ticket, they would probably Google a specific band and maybe use a keyword of “review”.  I know that is the route I would take.  They find a website that reviewed the concert, they read the review, they are impressed that Styx played “I Am The Walrus” as their third song and want to hear it, so they buy tickets.

Will there be newspapers in 15 years?  No one can answer that.  I read mine every day and will continue to subscribe.  But is there anyone with a brain cell who doesn’t think that websites are turning into mainstream media?  There is an unlimited audience, it doesn’t cost a penny to visit most sites, and the coverage is adequate.  Writers like Jay Marriotti have blasted the internet contributions in the past, probably because they feel threatened.  Yeah, kudos to those who went to school for four years and got a journalism degree, they have my respect and write some intriguing pieces.  Should they be allowed to have websites?  Do they have programming certification and/or even know what a widget is? 

I will continue to seek media credentials for any event I feel will generate this site more hits.  I will also be as diligent and prompt as I can be to ensure exposure of a positive nature to the group or organization who issued a credential to me.  Thanks to those who have said yes! 

To those who will only cater to traditional media:  Welcome to the future where typewriter ink rolls are going through the roof and black and white film is getting harder to come by.

Friday night I attended the Youngstown Phantoms USHL hockey game at The Covelli Centre.  Saturday, I made it to the Styx / REO Speedwagon / Night Ranger concert.  As I waited for Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon to finish a 20 or so minute rant on Vietnam and what it was like going to college at Illinois University, I looked around and started to take in the transformation process that had to take place in a 19-hour span. 

Tommy Shaw of Styx is good at what he does.  However, I don’t think Tommy Shaw can skate or take a hit from Richard Young off of the boards.  The first thing that had to be done was making the ice surface something sturdier for people to walk on for floor seating.  I looked down and noticed wood.  I was not sure if the wood I was standing on was on top of the hockey ice or whether they melted the ice and I was just standing on a normal floor.  After asking an employee of the arena, I learned that it was wood overlayed on the ice.  Once I learned this, I kicked at the wood a bit to see if it was loose in any way, which it was not. 

Assembling a stage and hanging the lights are not easy tasks.  This concert had plenty of lights hanging from the ceiling and it was no five minute project.  I am aware that bands hire crews to hang lights and assemble the stage, but they can’t do it on ice.  The stage itself would have basically covered the blue line to behind the goal, perhaps a little bigger.  Keep in mind, this stuff has to come apart and be put together at every stop. 

The doors for the concert opened at 6, and I am sure each band had to do a soundcheck which meant that all of this carpentry and wiring had to be done by 4 pm.  That means everything was done in 16 hours.  Seats had to be put down on the floor, coolers had to be restocked, bathrooms had to be cleaned, floors had to be swept, and people just had to be tired. 

It was quite a week at the Covelli Centre.  Last Sunday, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra brought all of their toys for two shows.  Wednesday, Daughtry was here.  Thursday and Friday were hockey games, and read the above three paragraphs for an inkling of things that converted the center into a concert hall.

I tip my hat to the crew at the Covelli Centre and applaud their hard work in the past week.  It is not often that Youngstowners have had such an array of events to choose from in one building.  Congratulations to Eric Ryan, Ken Bigley, Bridget Wolsonovich, Jon Jacubec, and the rest of the people who have buried themselves in work to see this place be successful.  

Youngstowners, mark Sunday, November 29 in your datebooks.  Extreme International Ice Racing is coming to The Covelli Centre.  The average ticket price is about $18.00 and from what I heard (and I am in no way into this sort of thing) it is a must-see event.  I plan on giving it a shot.  Usually when Eric Ryan and Ken Bigley hype something for Youngstown and I never heard of it, I try the unknown and usually leave satisfied.  The racing starts at 5:30, so be sure to grab a ticket and head downtown to see it.

Here are some stories from other great sites:

• In Game Now has information that Chad Ochocinco has sent the Ravens gift baskets which include deodorant so that they won’t sweat too much.
• Stacheketball says LeBron James really could have used some extra padding.
• Not Qualified To Comment is a Chicago blog.  Their story after the Cavs lost to the Bulls was that the Bulls began to discover their identity.  It is obvious that Cleveland is still searching for an identity of their own.
• Sports Rubbish informs you the reader that you can buy 5,000 leftover 2008 Beijing Olympic condoms.
• That NBA Lottery Pick says the ESPN trade machine has approved a trade involving Carlos Boozer for a can of tuna. 
• Babes Love Baseball points out Tim Lincecum won the Cy Young award, and he was probably stoned on weed all year.
• Sports Untapped tips their cap to the 2009 World Series Champion New York Yankees with their article titled right through the very heart of it.
• Fansided has a Wendy’s training video that ups your street creds up a couple of notches.
• Predominantly Orange lists 10 reasons why it is better to be a Broncos fan instead of a Steelers fan.
• Club Seat Sports say that dirty-tactic New Mexico State Soccer star Elizabeth Lambert is their kind of girl.

Kids play with toy guns and are taught to disregard greetings from strangers at an early age.  Life is working backwards on Delonte West.  Real guns and a bipolar disorder are now things that stand in the way of a player coming off of his best season ever. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are having chemistry issues right now.  The team is competitive but already losers in three of their games.  The arrival of Shaq and Anthony Parker, the departure of Ben Wallace, the pressure on LeBron James to win a ring,  and of course the unpredictable behavior of Delonte West.

West is coming off of his best season as a pro basketball player.  However, one recalls him going off on a ref during a preseason game last season which forced the team to seek help for West.  West agreed to medical attention and was treated for the erratic behavior.  Officials are saying an emotional disturbance is what triggered Delonte’s latest run at bad behavior.

Last year, West had a problem with paranoia, always thinking that people were against him.  He was often late arriving on days of games and the Cavs were almost forced to hide the information from the media because of the diagnosis fearing West would become worse as a result of negative perception.

Riding a motorcycle is something that West is not allowed to do under his current contract.  Riding a motorcycle with a host of loaded weapons is probably not included in the contract limitations, but common sense would tell you that must be a bad thing.  West also faced marijuana possession charges in Maryland when the Cavs worked out a new contract.

Message to Danny Ferry and the gang:  It is nice that you guys bent over backwards to help Delonte overcome his personal issues.  A second chance is something every human deserves.  However, Mr. West is now on his fifth chance, this time the negative publicity is on him, and you can no longer shield his goofy behavior.  Check his guitar case next time he brings it to practice, what’s inside could kill you or someone else who does not deserve to die.

Message to Delonte West:  Hey bud, I know you are going through some tough times.  Anyone who makes more than a million dollars a year has my sympathy.  Do you think you might like to hunt?  My buddy here has some farm land you could scour and I got his ok on it.  Please start taking your meds and listening to the shrinks advice this time.  You are not only endangering yourself, but also the chances of a very good basketball team succeeding this season.  If it gets to be too much, walk away.  Take a break and get your act together.  Go find a guy under a bridge who will provide you with so many answers without you having to ask a single question.

It is still early enough in the young NBA season for Cleveland to decide what to do with Delonte West.  Ignoring the problems or shielding him is obviously not the answer anymore.

The Youngstown Phantoms built up a four-goal lead over the first period and a half of hockey.  Des Moines fought and clawed their way back, but it was too little, too late.  When the zeroes hit the board and the final buzzard sounded, the crowd at The Covelli Centre breathed a sigh of relief as the hometown Phantoms were victorious, 5-4, to run a franchise-high winning streak to four.

Youngstown wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Brian Dowd netted his third goal of the year at the 1:29 mark.  The goal was scored on a power-play and Dowd was assisted by Brett Gensler putting the Phantoms in front early.  The Phantoms would end the night 2 for 6 on power-play chances.

Less than a minute later, at the 2:18 mark, Des Moines got an unassisted goal from Ryan Walters, his fifth on the season, to tie the contest at 1-1. 

The Phantoms pulled back in front on a Nick Czinder goal, his fourth, to reclaim the lead 7:14 into the game.  Andres Sustr racked up his sixth assist of the year on Czinder’s goal.

Almost eight minutes later, Taylor Holstrom connected on an unassisted power-play goal to increase the Youngstown margin to 3-1.  The two power-play goals scored against the Buccaneers were a rarity.  Going into this game, Des Moines had only surrendered seven power-play goals on the entire season.

The first period would come to an end with the Phantoms ahead 3-1, but the fireworks went off at the 18:04 mark as Richard Young and the Buccaneers Brandon Carlson dropped the gloves.  Young  took a couple of punches with little-to-no effect before flooring Carlson.  The two players received 5 minute fighting penalties and Young received an extra 10 minutes for misconduct.  Young would also serve a penalty in the third for too many men on the ice for a grand total of 17 penalty minutes on the night.  

The Phantoms started the second period in a rush when Adam Berkle connected for his fourth of the year.  Berkle was assisted by Stuart Higgins on his fourth of the year just :39 into the new stanza putting Youngstown in front by the score of 4-1.

At the 8:37 point of the second, Gensler scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season on an unassisted chance from close range.  The goal by Gensler, the #1 Star of The Game, put the Phantoms up 5-1 in what was shaping up to be a blowout.

Goals by Taylor Wolfe and Dan O’Donoghue later in the second period cut the Phantoms lead to 5-3 heading into intermission.  The insurmountable 4-goal lead was cut in half.  Statistically, Youngstown had somewhat of a mental edge at this point as Des Moines carried an 0-5 record if they were behind going into the final period.

With just over ten minutes left in the game, Des Moines Defenseman H.T. Lenz snuck one by Jordan Tibbett to cut the lead to 5-4 in favor of Youngstown. 

After a few rushes and a couple of great stops by Tibbett, the Phantoms played the last two-and-a-half minutes with at least a one-man advantage and successfully worked the clock down to secure the victory.  With the 5-4 triumph, the Phantoms climbed to 6-4-1 and won back-to-back home games in sweeping the Buccaneers.

Jordan Tibbett picked up both the Thursday and Friday victories between the pipes for the Phantoms.  Tibbett was praiseworthy of his defense after the game.  “We have done a great job of communicating and I’m seeing most of the shots while they are picking up the rebounds.  I can’t ask for anything more than that.”

Coach Bob Mainhardt seemed relieved at the two home wins.  “It’s been a long time coming.  We have worked hard so it is nice to get a reward.  We know we have more work to do to get better.  We let teams stick in games that we shouldn’t so we have some room for improvement, but right now, we are pretty happy.”

The Phantoms return to action on Wednesday against Green Bay at home.  The puck hits the ice at 7:15 and Youngstown hockey fans are encouraged to give this team a chance and take in a game.