Posts Tagged ‘Scott Mayfield’

Cedar Rapids rolled into Youngstown with the #2 seed in their Western Division already locked up.  They had a 3-0 record against the Youngstown Phantoms on the season, and the Phantoms were 1-7 in their vibrant orange jerseys.  Throw all of the statistical logic out the window and ignore the past.  Youngstown physically smacked Cedar Rapids around and did anything but take on the role of a playoff tune-up in beating the Roughriders 4-1.

The game featured everything including a fight at center ice between the two goaltenders, two shorthanded goals on the same two-minute powerplay, seven players who are done for at least the regular season for a fight at the end of the second period, and a new coach, as the “interim” tag was taken away from Curt Carr’s name.

Cedar Rapids struck first as Stu Wilson knocked in his second goal of the year with 5:49 left in the first period.  Wilson got assists on the goal from Casey Hohmann and Andy Simpson.

With 3:46 left in the first, Scott Mayfield poked in his tenth goal on the season to tie the contest at one goal each.  Ryan Jasinsky was credited with an assist on Mayfield’s even-strength chance.

The Phantoms outshot the Roughriders 14-10 in a first period that went fast and had only one penalty, a two-minute minor. 

In the second period, the Phantoms picked up where they left off in Chicago as Adam Berkle scored two consecutive goals.  The first Berkle tally came at even-strength and Ben Paulides picked up an assist with 16:39 to go in the second period.  Berkle’s second goal came while Cedar Rapids was on a powerplay with 13:33 left in the second, Mayfield was given an assist. 

Berkle had a chance for a hat trick but whiffed on a nice centering pass, and he knew it.  “It happens”, declared a joyous Berkle after the game.  “It felt good, our line has really been playing well.  We want to go out the real deal, not an expansion team that is just here to be kicked around.”

Less than a minute later, Paulides connected shorthanded putting Youngstown ahead, 4-1.  The two shorthanded goals were only the sixth and seventh given up all year by Cedar Rapids.  Youngstown scored two shorthanded at Chicago on Wednesday night.  For Ben Paulides, it was goal #3 on the season with an assist from Mayfield, his third point of the game.

As the second period was coming to an end Cody Strang took a cheap shot to the back of the head.  Nobody stood still as a chain reaction of fights broke out everywhere, including center ice where Matt Mahalak and Cody Campbell battled in a rare fight between goaltenders (pictured).  As soon as Mahalak landed on top two more fights broke out with David Donnellan and Andrew Lamont involved.  When the teams were shuffled back to their respective locker rooms, seven players showered and are done for at least the regular season.  The Phantoms ejected for fighting were Mahalak, Donnellan, and Lamont.  Cedar Rapids lost Campbell, Stephen Collins, Jordan DiGiando, and Nick Lappin.

Mahalak talked about his first fight.  “We [he and Campbell]  have known each other throughout the years a little bit.  There really isn’t too much bad blood.  I got knocked into the boards a couple of times, he got rung too.  I was looking at him, and he was looking back and we met at center ice.  It was a decent fight, he had me tied up and I ended up taking him down.”

Donnellan talked about the fight as well.  “At the end of the period, one of their guys hit one of our guys and Mayfield grabbed him.  A kid asked me if I wanted to go, so I did.  We had to stick up for our teammates and showed the deep character of the team right now.”

The Phantoms (20-35-4) were outshot 41-29 but spent most of the third period in their own zone and played a defensive keep away game with a three-goal lead.  Jordan Tibbett did a nice job stepping in and made a few great third period saves to preserve the lead for the rejuvinated Phantoms.

These two teams lock it up in the season finale for Youngstown.  The inaugural Phantoms will not make it to the postseason, so they are treating these two games against the Roughriders as a notice server to the rest of the league to beware next year. 

As these guys have played their hearts out all year, Saturday’s finale deserves a nice crowd.  I encourage all Youngstown hockey fans to come and cheer the Phantoms on because hockey season doesn’t happen again for about six months.  Show support to the local team, they have been very active in the community all season.

The Youngstown Phantoms got embarrassed on their home ice Friday in dropping an 8-1 decision to Sioux Falls.  The Stampede beat the Phantoms in every phase of that game.  As Classic Rock legends Foreigner once sang, That Was Yesterday, and Sunday offered fresh zeroes on the scoreboard.

Unfortunately for the home team, the zeroes turned into bad numbers again.  The goals scored section read Sioux Falls 8, Youngstown 3.  The shots on goal column for Sioux Falls had a 38 underneath it, too many quality attempts for the Phantoms to give to a high-powered juggernaut like the Stampede.

The Phantoms got a goal from Taylor Holstrom (above) at the 9:35 mark of the first period.  Both teams had a man in the penalty box, so it was an even-strength chance.  Brett Gensler picked up an assist as the Phantoms took the 1-0 lead, quite a contrast from Friday when they were down 3-0 at this point.

Sioux Falls tied it up as Michael Voran connected when Matt Lindblad’s shot deflected off of Phantoms Goalkeeper Matt Mahalak.  Voran was in the right place at the right time as he picked up the easy goal.

Matt Zarbo gave Sioux Falls the lead when he connected on an assist from Voran just about a half-minute later handing Sioux Falls a 2-1 lead.

Matt Farris connected just 18 seconds later, and just like that, the Phantoms had dug themselves a hole at the end of the first period and trailed 3-1 at the intermission.  Sioux Falls took the big lead scoring three quick goals in the last 1:19 of the frame.

At the 9:09 mark of the second period, the Phantoms broke into the Sioux Falls zone with a three-on-two advantage.  Jefferson Dahl unloaded the puck to Ryan Jasinsky who nailed the shot from in between the faceoff circles, beating Stampede netminder Clay Witt (top photo).  The goal shrunk the Sioux Falls lead to 3-2.

Conor Allen pushed the Stampede margin back to two goals when he scored from in between the circles. The goal came with 5:38 left in the second period and anytime the Phantoms seemed to gain a little momentum it was yanked away.

Linblad got his second point of the game when he took a rebound and stuffed it past Mahalak.  For Linblad, it was his twelfth goal of the season.  The powerplay goal was scored with 1:19 left in the second. Voran and Anthony Day picked up assists.  After two periods, Youngstown trailed Sioux Falls, 5-2.

Clark Cristofoli drilled a slapshot past Mahalk from the farthest part of the right faceoff circle.  The goal came at the 2:34 mark of the final period.  Jacob Johnstone was credited with an assist on Cristofoli’s second goal of the season.  Sioux Falls seemed to be having all of the fun again as they opened the lead to four goals at 6-2, their largest margin on the afternoon.

With 15:18 left in the game, the Stampede struck again as Josh Holmstrom let loose at an empty net. Mahalak dove right to stop a shot seconds earlier and Holmstrom was able to buzz it by before the Phantoms goaltender could reload to make it 7-2.  With 11:31 left, Holmstrom again hit the twine to push the lead to 8-2, and the route was on.

Scott Mayfield picked up his seventh goal of the season at the 11:14 mark of the third to ease the sting and make the score 8-3.  Stuart Higgins tallied an assist, his sixth of the year.  Unfortunately, it was the last murmur of the game and when the horn sounded signifying the end, the Phantoms were on the short end of the stick.

Goaltender Clay Witt may want to call Howard Hanna Real Estate to see if there are any homes for sale because he plays well when he hears the word Youngstown.  Witt has only give up four goals in three starts against the Phantoms (14-21-2) this season.

The Phantoms return to the ice Wednesday morning to play defending champion Indiana with a special early start time of 10 AM. 

The Youngstown Phantoms returned to action following a ten-day layoff, a mandatory break that the USHL takes each year for the Christmas Holiday.  The Phanoms unwrapped a 4-3 win over the visiting Waterloo Black Hawks before a good crowd at the Covelli Centre as Jordan Tibbett made 41 saves and Jefferson Dahl was a kneepad shy of a hat trick.

The return to the ice was without Coach Bob Mainhardt who drew a one-game suspension from league headquarters for his outburst in a 9-3 loss against Team USA.  Associate Coach and Director of Player Personnel, Curt Carr, played top banana for an evening, a role he is quite capable of.

Mainhardt spoke of his brief vacation.  “I got three days off, seemed like an eternity.  It was very nice to get some time in with the family, but it’s a little bit painful to watch the game and not have much input as to what is going on.  It reinforces some thoughts and brings up other things I may not have seen before. I’ll be back on the bench for the next game.”

The Phantoms struck first as Jefferson Dahl collected a shorthanded goal at the 8:40 mark of the first period. The goal was Dahl’s tenth of the season and eighth time the Phantoms connected with the other team holding a numbers advantage on the season.  Dahl stayed hot as this goal marked the fifth game in a row he has hit the back of the opponents netting.

Dahl’s shorthanded score would stand as the lone goal of the first period. The Phantoms were outshot 13-9 in the opening period thanks in part to Waterloo drawing four penalties against the Phantoms. Despite the penalties, Youngstown, behind Jordan Tibbett, was able to keep the Black Hawks off of the scoreboard.

The Phantoms would tally again at the 10:41 mark of the second period courtesy of Tom Serratore. Serratore’s goal was assisted by Dahl and David Donnellan and was a successful powerplay conversion. Serratore beat Waterloo goaltender CJ Motte with a short-range blast for his eighth goal of the season.

At the 16:30 mark of the second period, Dahl collected his second goal of the evening. Dahl was assisted by Stuart Higgins and Richard Young on the even-strength score, which put Youngstown up 3-0.

Waterloo managed to score at the 18:39 mark of the second period on their own powerplay goal to cut the lead to 3-1. Brock Monpetit capitalized for Waterloo with assistes from Nick Sorkin and Soren Jonzzon.

Scott Mayfield connected on another powerplay goal for the Phantoms at the 9:01 mark of the third period to regain the three goal lead. Goalee Jordan Tibbett picked up the rare offensive assist on Mayfield’s fifth of the year.

Jonzzon cut the lead to 4-2 at the 10:12 mark of the third with an even-strength goal. The assists went to Nick Ebert and Jamie Hill as the Black Hawks showed no signs of throwing in the towel.

The Black Hawks again scored to cut the fast-evaporating lead to 4-3. Ebert connected from 10 feet as Tibbett had already stopped over 40 shots in the game but could not stop the rocket fired by Ebert.

The Phantoms held on to improve to 13-11-2 on the season. Waterloo dipped to 9-15-1. Tibbett stopped 44 shots in garnering the win between the pipes. Goodness, nothing is easy.

Jefferson Dahl, who will play hockey for Wisconsin next season, is on a roll.  “Before Christmas break, we kind of went into a slump, so it felt real good to win the first game back after the break.  I am on a great line and have had good chances.  It just felt great to help get a win.”

Richard Young Tilt-O-Meter:

Coming Into 12/29 Game: 118 Penalty Minutes (Leads USHL)

Following 12/29 Game: 120 Penalty Minutes

Young was a jovial host during warmups as he chatted it up with members of the visiting Waterloo Black Hawks.  He was almost surely filled with some leftover Christmas spirit.

The peaceful and festive Richard Young that we are unaccustomed to was gone by the time the third period began as Young picked up a two-minute minor at the 5:02 mark.  However, that would be it.  Merry Christmas, Waterloo.

The first conversation I ever had with Luke Eibler took place in the elevator at The Covelli Centre before a Youngstown Phantoms game.  Granted, there are not many things you can talk about with someone you do not know when descending one floor in an elevator.  However, one floor on that elevator is like ten floors on a normal one, it has to be one of the world’s slowest.  I had seen this guy the night before wearing a suit and filming the game.  I assumed he was a paid member of the Phantoms video team.  The next night, as I struck up some matter-of-a-fact conversation, the young man informed me that he couldn’t wait to get back on the ice.  The guy I met that night has always smiled and said hello since, drawn praise from his coaches and fellow Phantoms, and is probably the most humble athlete (with amazing upside) I have ever spoken with.  That young man is Luke Eibler, and here are the highlights of our recent talk.

Paneech:  Talk about how you first got into playing hockey.

Eibler:  My father was never really big, so when I was about two years old he put me on the ice figuring I didn’t have to be huge to skate or play hockey.  I have been playing hockey since, and I really love the sport.

Paneech:  Talk about your future at Northeastern University and beyond.

Eibler:  I’m excited about Northeastern.  They have great coaching and there are alot of guys who can really play the game attending that school.  Three years ago they only won three games and last year they won 25.  If by some chance I got drafted, I would want to go to college for a couple of years.  As an NHL defenseman, I would need to bulk up a bit, I’m just not big enough yet.

Paneech:  How did you end up in a Phantoms uniform?

Eibler:  Last year I played for Victory Honda.  I played in a few tournaments and did well.  In the Futures Draft, Indiana picked me and I got traded to Youngstown six days before training camp.  Me and [Scott] Mayfield got traded to the Phantoms for Nick Madsen. 

Paneech:  Tell me how you injured your shoulder and how you are dealing with returning.

Eibler:  I have hurt it twice.  The first time, Nick Czinder hit me over the bench at practice.  I broke a bone and was out for three weeks.  I came back, played a few games, and my AC joint in the same shoulder got messed up and I missed a couple more weeks.  It really hurt a couple of weeks ago, but it feels 100% now.  I am hitting with my left shoulder more.  I feel like I get more power when I skate off of my right foot and deliver a blow with my left shoulder.

Paneech:  What is a harder skill, checking or digging the puck out of a crowd?

Eibler:  Coming up to a guy, you always want to lead with your stick to poke the puck out and then follow through with your body afterwards. 

Paneech:  Describe the living situation.  Do you guys all stay with a host family?

Eibler:  We all live with host families.  You either live with another player or by yourself.  Some people live with two other guys.  They [host families] have rooms for us.  I live by myself in Poland.  It is a very different experience because I have never lived with another family before.  I am already graduated, so I will go work out and be on the ice until at least 3:30 pretty much every single day.

Paneech:  Coach Mainhardt talks about “sticking to the gameplan” and is awfully frustrated after you guys lose usually saying someone did not follow instructions.  How do these people get sidetracked?

Eibler:  Sometimes guys can get off of the gameplan.  Most of the time we try to stick to what the coaches are telling us.  You have to forecheck and backcheck.  If you stick to the system, you win more than you lose.  When guys do their own thing like skating out of lines or throwing the puck around, it creates turnovers , 2-on-1, and 3-on-2 situations.

 

Paneech:  What are your statistical goals for the year?

Eibler:  If I could put up 20 points I would be happy.  As a defenseman, you are looking to pass more than shoot and my stats are pretty uneven right now.  I have three powerplay goals, but I do not look for shots too often.  All of these guys have pretty good skills, but the forwards are much more skilled than the defenseman are.  If we can hit them with a breakout pass or catch them wide, it lets them do their work.  Sometimes defenseman shoot and the forwards crash the net.

Paneech:  Explain all of the stuff I see going on behind the curtain and before a game.  I have seen people sprinting, throwing Nerf balls around, soccer balls flying,  and playing hackey-sack.  Are these things to keep your mind free or loosen you up before a game?

Eibler:  They are just warmup activities to keep the guys loose.  You have to go into the game loose.  You have to be focused, but you also have to be loose.  You never want to go into a game uptight.

One Word Answers

Favorite Meal Of The Day:  Dinner.

Favorite TV Show:  Family Guy.

Favorite NHL Player:  Joe Sakic.

Biggest Phobia:  Feet.

Worst Habit:  Taking a game too seriously.

Favorite Toy As A Child:  My bow and arrow.

Favorite Musician:  Kenny Chesney.

Favorite Holiday:  Christmas.

Favorite Soft Drink:  Arizona Iced Tea (Tropical).

Other Sport You Watch Besides Hockey:  College Football.

A Couple Of Words That Describe Coach Mainhardt:  Good Guy.

*** A note of interest.  Eibler grew up near Ann Arbor, Michigan.  When I asked the one-word answer about a sport besides hockey to which he responded ‘college football’, I was forced to ask, and yes Youngstown, I am sorry to inform you that he is a Michigan fan. 

For some reason, the Chicago Steel (10-8-3)are ahead of the Youngstown Phantoms (9-8-2) in the standings but can never seem to get by them on the ice. The Phantoms used timely third period heroics to take the verdict, 6-4. Luke Eibler (pictured) hit a game winner and Jefferson Dahl put it away with an empty netter.

The Steel did not take long, 1:30 into the first period to be exact, to put a goal on the board. Mark Anthione beat Jordan Tibbett with a wrist shot. Anthione was assisted by Sahir Gill and Patrick Raley on the quick goal.

The first period ended with Chicago ahead 1-0. Both teams had three powerplay chances each but neither could capitalize. Chicago outshot Youngstown 11-7 and both goalies, Tibbett for Youngstown and Nick Pisellini for Chicago, made a couple of nice saves to keep the scoring down.

Adam Berkle took less than a minute to score the tying goal on a nice feed from Tom Serratore. The goal, scored at the 19:02 mark of the second period was Berkle’s fifth of the year.

David Donnellan gave the Phantoms a short-lived 2-1 lead at 2:55 into the second period. Donnellan was assisted by Dan Senkbeil on the go-ahead score.

Jake Chelios, son of future NHL Hall of Famer  Chris Chelios, scored from about 50 feet away as the puck was curving and bouncing and somehow got past Tibbett to tie the game at two apiece at the 16:33 mark of the second period. Zack Rall picked up the cheap assist for the Steel.

Gill put the Steel back in front, 3-2, as he beat Tibbett on a nice pass from Patrick Raley. The goal was a powerplay at the 15:32 mark of the second period, Chicago’s first successful conversion after five previous advantages that failed.

The Phantoms tied the game with a powerplay goal of their own with less than a second left in the second period. Ryan Jasinsky connected off of a shot that hit the crossbar of the Chicago goal and slid out of the crease where Jasinsky was able to knock it home.

Just 1:24 into the third period, and five seconds into a powerplay, Gill scored again for the Steel. The goal gave Chicago a 4-3 lead. Gill’s second goal of the game was assisted by Andrei Kuchin.

Scott Mayfield, who earlier in the week drew praise from Bob Mainhardt for his efforts, tied the game at 4-4 on a shorthanded goal. Mayfield was assisted by Donnellan at the 14:19 mark of the final period. It was Mayfield’s fifth goal of the year.

With 3:05 left in the game, the Phantoms took a 5-4 lead when Luke Eibler made a beautiful move after receiving a pass from Taylor Holstrom. For Eibler, it was his sixth goal of the year. Eibler skated from the right faceoff circle toward the left side of the crease to beat Pisellini.

Jefferson Dahl put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal giving the Phantoms a 6-4 lead with just 46 seconds remaining in the game. Mayfield picked up the assist on the free chance.

Richard Young Tilt-O-Meter:

Penalty Minutes Entering 12/4 game: 89

Penalty Minutes After 12/4 game: 94

Young was on his best behavior until the very beginning of the third period. Chicago Forward Charlie Thauwald dropped the gloves to fight with Young and just landed on top of him. Young went to his second home, the penalty box, feeling cheated as he was taken down with a cheap WWE move.

Coach Mainhardt was happy with his team.  “That was the best 60 minutes of hockey we have played so far this year.  Chicago is a great team and near the top of the standings for a reason.  They will show up ready tomorrow.”

Luke Eibler was elated he got to help the team make a difference, as just a couple of weeks ago he was a medical scratch with a bad shoulder.  “Coach told me not to pinch because they would run and gun if we collapsed in the zone.  Holstrom made a great pass between the defenders legs and I was in position to make a good shot.  It felt great to be on the ice.  Seems like we are clicking on all cylinders and Cody [Strang] and I are happy to be out there with the guys helping to get a win.”

These Chicago – Youngstown games have been very entertaining and Saturday will mark the regular season finale in Youngstown.  The two teams do play again in Chicago on March 31, but treat yourself to guaranteed good hockey Saturday night, December 5, at the Covelli Centre.

The Youngstown Phantoms have shown bursts of greatness and breakdowns of unthinkable proportion, sometimes in the same game.  Bob Mainhardt, the Phantoms GM and Coach, never holds back after a game when giving quotes to the media, win or lose.  Alex Zoldan, the Phantoms President has opinions too, but in a much quieter demeanor.  I recently caught up with both of them to assess the team after one third of the season has been played.

Mainhardt gives his team the letter grade of a ‘C’ to this point.  He feels that many of the individuals on the team are striving toward becoming better hockey players.  However, sometimes the team loses focus and leaves the coach scratching his head.  “These guys know that every day they must show up and earn their spot.”

We discussed the progress of some Phantoms players.  Fan-favorite Richard Young was first to be discussed.  Mainhardt said that Young is maturing and getting better at picking the opportunities where a fight may lift the team a notch.  “He is maturing and starting to understand his role, Rich is a very good hockey player.  He is not a guy that we are just looking to tade off for five minutes at a time.  He is doing a real good job so far.”

In the first third of the season, Mainhardt cited Taylor Holstrom as the biggest surprise.  “Holstrom has exceeded my expectations and has shown that he belongs night in and night out.  It’s no fluke, he is one of the few ‘A’s’ I would give out so far.”

Jordan Tibbett, coming off of a hand injury, and Matt Mahalak have both done good work between the pipes for the Phantoms.  “We set it up where these two guys would push one another.  We are definitely nearing a point where we are going to hand the reigns over to one of the two guys and let them steer us the rest of the way home.  They are still battling it out, and I couldn’t be happier than having these two guys playing well.”

The return of Luke Eibler was something Mainhardt was quick to praise.  “Luke is good for about four or five big hits a game.  If a guy gets one big hit a game, he is considered a big hitter.  Luke brings a physical presence and a competitive spirit, he hates to lose.  He is completely in a routine and wants to do whatever he has to so that we win.”

Ryan Jasinsky is not putting up the numbers yet, but Mainhardt commented on his recent play.  “Ryan has been productive enough, would we like him to be more productive? Yeah.  We are comitted to developing these guys into what they can be and he has really taken some big strides to get going.”

Brett Gensler was lighting it up but has been quiet on the scoring end lately.  Mainhardt feels Gensler will get it going again soon.  “He [Gensler] is a guy that needs to be in the right combination.  He has been getting opportunities but has been coming up a little unlucky.  He had good luck with a couple of his goals early on, but lately he has been snakebitten.”

Andrej Sustr (SHOE’ stir), the Czech Republic Defenseman who recently garnered USHL honors as Defenseman of The Week is doing what he should.  “He [Sustr] is right where he should be.  Big guys like that get worn down with this sort of training regimin, but he is holding up real well and will coninue to improve as he gets bigger and stronger.  He is an NHL Defenseman for sure if he makes the right decisions from here on out.”

On who may be in danger of losing a spot, Mainhardt had this to say, “Nobody is really in jeopardy of being sent away.  It is all baby steps and maximizing what you can get, and we knew that going in.  A guy can score 50 goals on a losing team, or a guy can score 20 goals on a winning team, and the one who succeeds around here will be the guy whose team wins and I am trying to get that across to them and they understand it.”

I asked Mainhardt if I were an NHL Scout and approached him before the game and asked ‘Which three guys should I keep an eye on tonight?’ who he would offer.  “I’ll give you five.  [Matt] Mahalak, [Scott] Mayfield, [Andrej] Sustr, [Luke] Eibler, and [Nick] Czinder.  If you asked me tomorrow that list could change.  It’s all about who is making the right decisions combined with the raw talent.”

On the business and promotional end of things, Mainhardt and Zoldan know that there are more steps to take to increase the interest locally.  Mainhardt commented on attendance and seeing repeat customers.  “The shock and awe of having a hockey team in this building have already been used up by previous teams.  What we have is the chore of educating the fans.  What we are seeing is that the people who come, are coming back.  We are promoting as much as we can by being a part of the community.  Mr. Zoldan is comitted to building something that is going to last, and that is why he brought this franchise here.”

Alex Zoldan discussed the business end of things.  “Eric Ryan and The Covelli Centre have worked with us a great deal to promote the team.  I have already seen an increase in attendance, and I understand that alot of the early crowds were in direct conflict with high school football. You hope to have 5,000 or 3,500 at every game, but realistically I envisioned what we are drawing and expect increases, it is a process.  By getting the people involved and getting their hearts behind us, the city can claim ownership of the team.  Being a sports fan, when you follow a team and that team leaves, it is real hard to jump back in.  The people that have given it a chance notice that it is better hockey.  The fans that are coming are into the game.  People are waving towels and t-shirts and screaming their support.”

The ride has been a fun one so far.  I think Zoldan and Mainhardt have a winner.  It is nice to have Eric Ryan in your corner, but believe me, this hockey will sell itself sooner than later.  To this point, the games have been fun to watch, easy to write about, and very well played.  I agree 100% with Zoldan that this process will steadily improve over time.  If you have not been to a Phantoms game yet, they play on Friday and Saturday this week against one of the better USHL teams, Chicago. 

Give this product a shot.  It is cheaper than going to the movies and the fact that you are watching players who will definitely be in the NHL in a few years adds to the exciting atmosphere.  I even enjoy listening to the road games.  Matt Gajtka is phenomenal on the air and could probably do play-by-play in the NHL if he had to.  Look for this team to break out this month.  Wins are going to happen more often than not.

The Chicago Steel rolled into town for a one game battle with the Youngstown Phantoms.  With only one first period goal scored, it looked to be a defensive struggle with a mistake proving to be a difference either way.  All hell broke loose in the second period as the two teams combined to score eight goals.  The game even was extended, tied at the end of regulation, in a true battle of wills.  Tom Serratore (pictured) broke the tie with an OT game-winner vaulting the home team to victory in a 7-6 battle for the ages. 

The Steel hit the scoreboard first at the 14:51 mark of the first period. Alex Carpenter knocked home his fourth goal of the season and was assisted by Andrew Schmit. Phantoms Goaltender Matt Mahalak had turned away two previous attempts before giving up the goal that he probably never saw.

The first period was filled with hard-hitting action and no penalties. Chicago shot more than twice as much as the Phantoms, holding a 15-7 edge in attempts for the period. The first period lead for Chicago was a welcome omen as the Steel were undefeated when ahead after one period (5-0-1), but that very omen was broken in Youngstown.

The Phantoms had the first power play of the evening but surrendered the second Chicago goal shorthanded. Greg Wolfe knocked one in off of the pipe to Matt Mahalak’s left to increase the Steel lead to 2-0.

Seconds later, on the same power play, the Phantoms retaliated with a goal of their own. Tom Serratore connected on the power play chance, assisted by David Donnellan. For Serratore, it marked the third time he found the net this season and the Phantoms cut the lead to 2-1.

Before the music was even done playing, Chicago cashed in on another shorthanded chance. This time Mark Anthoine took a pass from Andrei Kuchin to increase the Steel lead to 3-1.

The offensive fireworks continued as Ryan Jasinsky got in on the action. Jasinsky’s third goal of the year came at the 6:30 mark of the second period on a beautiful pass from Brian Dowd.

A minute later the Phantoms tied the game at three goals apiece when Donnellan connected from just inside the blue line. For Donnellan, it marked his first goal of the season and he was assisted by Jefferson Dahl. It was another shorthanded goal, this one for the Phantoms.

The crazy pace continued as the two goaltenders were getting beat like swiss cheese. The Phantoms went ahead at the 9:44 mark of the second on a Nick Czinder power play goal. Czinder was assisted by Dowd and Donnellan on a couple of pretty passes.

Chicago responded quickly as Mark Adams connected on a power play to tie the game back up. Adams second goal of the season was assisted by Alex Carpenter and Wolfe at the 10:33 mark.

Another power play chance paid dividends for Chicago as Adams connected for the second time on the evening putting the Steel back on top, 5-4. On the goal, Greg Wolfe picked up his third point of the night with an assist.

At the 5:40 mark of the final period, Carpenter picked up his second goal of the game for Chicago. Jay Camper racked up an assist on the Steel goal which extended their lead to 6-4.

At the 9:04 mark in the third, Andrew Lamont picked up his third of the year to bring the Phantoms within one at 6-5. The assists on the goal went to Scott Mayfield and Taylor Holstrom.

Youngstown tied the game at the 11:14 mark on a breakaway headed by Holstrom who fed Czinder. The goal tied the game at 6 and the Covelli Centre was jumping and loud with the resiliency of this young Phantoms team.

Regulation came to an end with the score tied at 6-6. Give the Phantoms credit for biting and clawing their way back to tie the first-place Steel. Three weeks ago, being down two goals that late in the game would have resulted in doom. Coach Mainhardt and Coach Carr deserve credit as these young men are really buying into a system that has been paying off.

In the overtime, the Phantoms connected at the 1:16 mark as Serratore connected from the left face-off circle. What a win for the Phantoms! Serratore was assisted by Holstrom on the game-winner.

Coach Mainhardt said the win did not come the way he would have expected. “It was a great game for the fans, but you had two coaches pulling what little hair we have left out. It’s baby steps, but the group is really starting to pull together and treat each other like family.”

Tom Serratore, who got his first-ever OT game-winner was elated. “It was great. I got my first USHL overtime goal and I was just happy that we could pull out this win.”

New Feature. Introducing The Richard Young tilt-o-meter

Tilt-o-Meter for 11/14 game vs Chicago: 7

On a scale of 1-10, Richard Young can be gauged of being on tilt every night. To what degree? Check the Paneech.com Richard Young tilt-o-meter for a nightly ranking. Young leads the USHL in penalty minutes with 70. He added to his total with 5 more for fighting in the second period. He also picked up a two-minute minor for hooking in the third.

New total: 77 minutes.

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.

Youngstown finally put one in the win column at home and improved to 5-4-1 at home and 2-1 against Des Moines on the year. Richard Young wore the hero ribbon with a game-winner and the Phantoms held off a very game Buccaneer team that came to play in posting a hard-fought 4-3 victory.

The Phantoms dug themselves a familiar hole to crawl into as they surrendered a lead for the sixth straight game. Des Moines got on the board at the 14:20 mark when Mike Fink scored his first goal of the year. Fink was assisted by Ryan Walters and Yasin Cisse.

With just five seconds left in the first period, Chris Stafne increased the Buccaneer lead to 2-0 on his first goal of the season. Picking up assists on the Stafne goal were Jack Berger and Mitch Cain. The first period would come to a close with Des Moines in front 2-0.

Whatever Coach Bob Mainhardt said to his team during the intermission worked well. The Phantoms came out hitting and played much harder than they did in the first period. Jefferson Dahl lit the lamp at the 7:00 mark to cut the lead to 2-1. Dahl was assisted by Andrew Lamont and Joe Zarbo.

The barrage continued at the 11:39 as Ryan Jasinski netted his second goal of the year, assisted by Scott Mayfield, to tie the contest at two goals apiece.

Nick Czinder connected on an unassisted chance at the 15:26 mark to give the Phantoms a 3-2 lead, which is how the period would come to a close. The Phantoms had 17 shots on goal in the period after mustering only five in the earlier stanza.

In the third period, Daniel Heath connected on a power-play chance to tie the contest back up at three goals apiece. It was the first power-play goal of the evening for either team.

Richard Young came up big with his second goal of the year to give the Phantoms a 4-3 lead. Young was assisted by Brett Gensler and Ben Paulides on the go-ahead score at 16:45 of the third period.

After the game, Richard Young, the #1 star of the game said he was thrilled to help this team win. “It was a big goal and I was happy to just help the team. “ Young also commented on the productive line he is now a part of. “We’ve got a goal scorer [Gensler], we have a playmaker [Dowd], and we have a grinder [Young]. Coach threw us together for a couple of practices then in a game, and we just clicked.”

Coach Mainhardt was happy to record the first-ever home victory. “It feels great. There is no doubt that the first one is the toughest to get. We’re glad to get that out of the way and hopefully we can get on a little roll here.”

About the difference in play between the first and second periods, Mainhardt remarked, “We had some choice words for the guys in the locker room and they responded well.”

The Phantoms Jordan Tibbett got the win between the pipes by stopping 26 Buccaneer shots in evening his record on the season to 3-3-0.  Youngstown recorded 35 shots on goal with almost half (17) coming in the second period.

The Phantoms lock up with the Buccaneers again tonight at The Covelli Centre. The puck drops at 7:05 and the promotion everybody loves, dollar beer night, will co-feature YSU ID discount admission night. The team looks poised to make a nice run, come and check out a Phantoms game!

The Youngstown Phantoms travel in a bus.  Anyone who has traveled by bus knows that it can get boring beyond belief.  I’m not talking about a deal where you pay $20 and go to Mountaineer and get $15 of it back to gamble with either.  North Dakota is a longer ride than Mountaineer Casino, much longer.  The Phantoms enjoyed the ride home probably much better than the ride to Fargo as they swept a pair of games on Friday and Saturday.

In the Friday game, Matt Mahalak (pictured) stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced and Brett Gensler broke a 1-1 tie in the third period with his second goal of the game.  Defenseman Scott Mayfield capped the scoring for Youngstown when he cleared the puck off the glass and it went into the empty net.  Fargo was on a power-play and pulled their netminder for a two-man advantage that backfired as Mayfield delivered the dagger.

On Saturday, Youngstown got a standout performance from Tom Serratore who registered an assist and two goals all in the third period.  Brett Gensler added two more goals, bringing his two game roadtrip total to four.  Gensler has been the most consistent scorer for the Phantoms all season.  Jordan Tibbett picked up the win in goal and stopped 26 shots.

With the two wins, Youngstown has improved to 4-1-1 on the road and 4-4-1 overall.  They will do their damndest to win a game at home this weekend as they welcome in Des Moines for Thursday and Friday games.  Luke Eibler injured his shoulder on the road and will miss about a month for the Phantoms.

At the Thursday game, kids wearing Halloween costumes will be admitted for free with a paying adult.  It is also Mascot Mania night where mascots from various organizations will be entertaining the crowd during intermissions.  Confirmed to appear are Sparky, Chomper (Browns), Zippy (Akron), Pete the Penguin (YSU), and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Scrappy (Mahoning Valley Scrappers).

The Friday game is YSU night.  Anyone with a valid YSU ID will be admitted free of charge.  Friday is also $1 beer night.  So YSU fans who are planning on having a $1 beer better bring two forms of ID (just my opinion).   The puck drops at 7:05 both nights.  Come by the press area and say hi, I’ll see you there.