Repost from Our Sports Central
Youngstown Phantoms’ Charlie Cerrato, Adam Pietila, Grant Young, and Andrew Strathmann on the ice
(Youngstown Phantoms, Credit: Scott Galvin/Scott Galvin Photography)
Youngstown, OH – The Youngstown Phantoms (27-16-4-4, 62pts) grabbed a much needed two points after a 7-4 victory over the Muskegon Lumberjacks Sunday Evening at the Covelli Centre. The matinee was full of physical play and intensity, with 239 minutes of penalty time. In the final game of the three-in-three, getting redemption after dropping the first two was a great feeling for the home team. Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward liked the direction his team is headed in after Sunday.
“It was great. It was an old school hockey game. I think it was a great steppingstone for us, I felt like we deserved better fate after the last three games,” Ward said. “That was a statement win, that team is one of the best teams in the league and for us to come out and bully them around was good for us. At the end of the day, we’re from Youngstown Ohio, we have to be gritty.”
The goals came early and often in the opening period. The red light first shined when Michael Munroe redirected an Adam Pietila slapshot past the Muskegon goalie at 3:01. This was the first USHL goal for the rookie. The second goal of the day also came by way of a Phantom, as Conner de Haro poked a shot toward the net that sneaked through Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev’s legs to give the home team the early 2-0 lead 4:01 into the game. Sacha Boisvert answered back for the Lumberjacks a minute later, after he cashed in with a power play goal to make the score 2-1. The goal by Boisvert gave him 100 career USHL points. The lead was extended after Kuzma Voronin finished a beautiful Pietila centering feed at 10:39, followed by Ryan Botterill’s 22nd goal, flushing home a rebound at 12:11. Botterill’s goal gave the Phantoms a 4-1 lead and chased Gadzhiev to the bench, but the scoring wasn’t done in the opening frame. Justin Solovey connected on a power play goal at 14:45 to cut the Lumberjack deficit to two. Cody Croal helped the Lumberjacks chip away at the lead some more at 18:01 after he finished off a 3-on-1 break for the Jacks.
The second period could not live up to the first period, but the Phantoms scored three and put the game to rest early. Pietila opened up the scoring in the period at 4:15, blasting a one-timer from the high slot past Miles Roberts to tie Botterill for the team lead with his 22nd goal of the season. Forty-five seconds later, Charlie Cerrato won a faceoff, went to the net, took a pass from Voronin, and scored to build the Phantoms’ lead back to three. Cerrato had a goal and assist as he celebrated his 19th birthday. Pietila took back the team lead in goal scoring at 8:18 when he put home the rebound of Andrew Strathmann’s shot from the right point. Pietila’s fourth point of the game put the Phantoms ahead 7-3 at the second intermission.
The final frame lacked goal scoring, but certainly did not lack action. With 11:20 left in the period, bodies came together after Matvei Gridin and Munroe came together following a physical play, which eventually drew a crowd and led to an old-fashioned line brawl. Every player on the ice was eventually charged with two-minute roughing penalties, along with ten-minute misconduct penalties, sending all 10 skaters on the ice to the locker room for early showers. Jack Galanek scored a late power play goal at 17:03 that wrapped up the scoring, but the Phantoms walked away with the 7-4 victory.
Aiden Wright had another stellar night at the Covelli Centre, stopping 18 of 22 shots. Gadzhiev saved eight of the 12 shots sent his way before being pulled in favor of Roberts, who saved 17 of 20 in relief.
The Phantoms will head to the road for the next four games, starting in Iowa on March 16th against the Sioux City Musketeers. Puck drop is slated for 7:05pm Eastern Saturday night and 4:05pm Eastern Sunday afternoon as the Phantoms and Musketeers wrap up their only series of the season.
By the Numbers
Shots – 32
Saves – 18
Power Play – 1/4
Penalty Kill – 4/7
Goals – Botterill, Cerrato, de Haro, Munroe, Pietila (2), Voronin,
Assists – Cerrato, Hanrahan, Lewis (2), Morin, Pietila (2), Ranallo, Strathmann, Voronin, Young