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December 20, 2024 (Woonsocket, R.I.) – The Jr. Mounties Youth Hockey Program and Adelard Arena announced today the appointment of Matthew Fawcett as the Director of Youth Hockey. Fawcett will help grow the program into the top youth development program in Rhode Island. 

Under Fawcett’s leadership, the Jr. Mounties will offer youth teams at all levels to build on its existing structure. He will serve as head coach of the 13U Jr. Mounties team for the 2025-26 season and as a scout for the Maryland Black Bears of the North American Hockey League and the USHL Youngstown Phantoms.

Fawcett’s playing career began locally with the Providence Capitals before playing prep hockey at The Winchendon School. He spent time in the British Columbia Hockey League and the United States Hockey League before playing NCAA Division I hockey at Quinnipiac University and the University of Maine. Fawcett earned an MBA from Salve Regina University, combining his hockey expertise with strategic leadership. Most recently, he coached junior hockey in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) and ran skills camps with the Providence Capitals. Fawcett is co-founder of 401 Hockey Development, a comprehensive hockey development program catering to players of all ages and skill levels. 

“It’s an honor to contribute to the growth and elevation of this program while being part of Mount’s historic legacy,” Fawcett said. “With a focus on developing players on and off the ice, I’m excited to work with the rest of the program to shape its future and build the framework for continued success. I look forward to helping our players reach their full potential.”

“Matthew Fawcett is a great addition to our existing team at Mount Saint Charles and Adelard Arena,” said Black Bear Sports Group Director of Youth Hockey Patrick Choules. “His dedication to development will provide local players with tremendous opportunities to grow within our network. Matthew’s involvement in Black Bear Sports Group junior-affiliated clubs will present an unmatched path from youth to junior hockey in a program with an impressive history.”

Black Bear Sports Group entered an agreement with MSC in October to manage the historic Adelard Arena. Bruce Berard was named President of the Jr. Mounties as part of the transaction. Jr. Mounties program information will be available in the new year. 

About the Jr. Mounties Youth Hockey Program

Based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, at Adelard Arena, the Jr. Mounties are the affiliate program of the storied high school hockey program at Mount Saint Charles Academy. They are an elite program that plays in the E9/BHL hockey league and fields multiple teams, intending to develop some of the best hockey players in the region.

About Adelard Arena

Opened in 1963, Adelard Arena is a historic facility in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, on Mount Saint Charles Academy’s campus. The arena is home to the 46-time State Champion high school hockey team at Mount Saint Charles and the National Powerhouse Academy teams, including the Jr. Mounties.

About Black Bear Sports Group

Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. is a privately held company formed by Murry Gunty and Blackstreet Capital Holdings, LLC in 2015 that seeks investments in sports and entertainment facilities, teams, and youth sports events. Black Bear focuses on ice arenas in metropolitan areas with compelling demographics, markets with a National Hockey League club presence, and arenas with existing youth hockey clubs. The largest owner/operator of ice arenas in the U.S., Black Bear’s footprint totals 40 facilities across the United States with 76 sheets of indoor ice, 40 youth hockey clubs, four hockey leagues (Atlantic Hockey Federation, Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation, Tier 1 Hockey Federation, and National Girls Hockey League), two tournament businesses (Defender Hockey Tournaments and The Show Tournaments), eight Junior “A” hockey teams with membership in the United States Hockey League, North American Hockey League, USPHL NCDC, USPHL Premier and Elite, and Foundry Adult Hockey, the largest adult hockey organization in the USA. Black Bear TV, the broadcasting arm of Black Bear, now reaches nearly 100 sheets of ice and has quickly established itself as one of the largest hockey broadcasters in the U.S.

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YOUNGSTOWN — A third period rush helped push the Youngstown Phantoms past Cedar Rapids on Saturday, dispatching the Rough Riders, 5-3.

Kade Stengrim set the tone early, scoring his fifth goal of the season less than two minutes into the contest.

“I liked our start,” Phantoms coach Ryan Ward said. “I actually thought our start was better tonight than last night. I think we stayed in it, we didn’t give up a whole lot. … I like that we generated more tonight. Overall, I thought it was a good effort. We’ve got one more tomorrow, and it’s great playing here at the Covelli Centre.”

Stengrim and linemates Jakub Hes and Michael Coleman have been a productive combination of forwards for the Phantoms this season.

“I think they have an identity. I think it’s important that they have an identity,” Ward said. “Kade’s really coming along. Obviously, he goes to the net, has real good hands and a tight, excellent shot. All three of them I thought played well. He is a very smart player. He’s probably more underrated. I don’t think people appreciate how good he is. That line has been good. It’s been a great identity line for us.”

While the Phantoms pulled away in the third period, they went tit-for-tat with Cedar Rapids early.

The Rough Riders responded quickly to Stengrim’s opening goal. Heath Nelson beat out Owen Lepak to knot the game back up.

But Evan Jardine gave Youngstown the edge going into the first intermission, finding the back of the net with the help of Jack Hextall, who tallied his 10th assist so far this season.

Nelson struck again for Cedar Rapids and Daniel Astapovich gave the Rough Riders their only lead of the night midway through the second period.

Defenseman Conner de Haro, who finished the game with a goal and an assist, tied the game up for the Phantoms less than two minutes after Cedar Rapids took the lead.

“Conner has been coming offensively,” Ward said. “Obviously joining the rush, and things like that, and I think he continues to play well. He’s just playing within himself and I think that’s really important.”

That game-tying goal sparked the Phantoms going into the third.

Landan Resendes broke the deadlock in the third period, scoring what went on to be the game-winner against his former team.

“He’s someone for the last two years that, while he was on that team, was a thorn in our side,” Ward said. “(He’s also) someone that we identified last year as someone we would like to acquire and to get into the organization. Thankfully, we were able to do that this year. He’s a prototypical Phantom, and certainly brings it every night.”

It didn’t take long for the Phantoms to add further to their lead.

This time it was Brecken Smith who found the back of the net, giving the Phantoms a 5-3 lead, which would hold.

In the third period, the Phantoms limited Cedar Rapids to just two shots on net. Youngstown dominated in the shots-on-goal department Saturday, outshooting the Rough Riders 32-13.

“We just wanted to be on the right side of pucks, and really, just keep attacking,” Ward said. “I think for us, we were carrying the game, and we just wanted to continue to play our game and stick to our game plan, be above pucks and play as fast as we can to get the puck to the other end.”

The Phantoms play host to the US National Team Development Program U18s today. Start time is set for 4:05 p.m. at the Covelli Centre.

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YOUNGSTOWN — An old saying amongst coaches is “special teams are special.”

The Youngstown Phantoms lived up to that mantra on Sunday with a pair of power play goals and some key stops on the penalty kill to sweep the weekend with their third win in as many days, taking down the Team USA U18s, 2-1.

“Just a super, super effort,” Phantoms coach Ryan Ward said. “Three (games) in three (days). Obviously they’re playing in the same situation (too). We had some adversity this whole weekend with guys out and injuries, and I thought it was a super gritty effort by our guys. I loved our response to obviously killing the five-minute major, a goal got waved off, and we just kept going.

“I think this team is starting to figure it out. An eerily similar kind of trajectory here. I’m excited about the group, and really proud of them for how hard they worked all weekend.”

Forward Jack Hextall got things started on the scoresheet for the Phantoms, knocking the puck past Team USA’s Harrison Boettiger for the opening goal.

The lone miscue on the night for the Phantoms also came on special teams.

Youngstown gave up a shorthanded goal in the waning seconds of the opening period, with Michigan commit Drew Schock IV hitting twine.

Outside of that though, the Phantoms were unblemished on Sunday.

“When you win the special teams battle, you win the majority of the games, and I thought our power play did a good job, even with the shorty we gave up,” Ward said. “It hit (defenseman Conner) de Haro in the head, and then the guys lost the puck, and it was bad timing. But I loved our response. I thought the power play came through big and that the penalty kill was excellent tonight, so special teams carried us through.”

Phantoms forward Justin Kerr, who had a goal waved off earlier in the third period due to a high stick, didn’t make the same mistake twice, beating Boettiger for the go-ahead score.

“It was a high stick. We saw it on the bench,” Ward said of Kerr’s waved-off goal. “Obviously, Kerr did a ton of good things tonight. He played a big man’s game, and that’s what we’ve challenged him with. And playing big time minutes too. I’m happy for (Kerr), he’s been really working hard and working on his game, and it’s paying off.”

The Phantoms have now won five games in a row dating back to the Nov. 8 victory over Chicago. Solid defensive play, and limiting chances have been a major help in making that happen.

“We track all that stuff, and over the past five games, we haven’t given them much,” Ward said. “We pride ourselves on how we play away from the puck. Our guys buy into it, and obviously limiting those high-danger chances is something that bodes well for us.”

The Phantoms (10-7-0-0, 20 points) have a two-game set next weekend on the road in Omaha, and on Nov. 27, they play a rare Wednesday game against the U17s. The Phantoms return to the Covelli Centre the following Saturday to host Des Moines.

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YOUNGSTOWN — Every game is a learning experience, and the Youngstown Phantoms learned a valuable lesson on Friday.

They saw firsthand how quickly momentum swings in hockey. But they forced overtime, and a goal by Landan Resendes in the extra period sent the Phantoms to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Steel at the Covelli Centre.

“Hockey is a game of momentum, and for us, we probably need to learn to manage that a little better,” Phantoms head coach Ryan Ward said. “But overall, up two goals going into that third period and have that deflating feeling, but to come out of it, really important.”

Resendes crossed the face of Steel goalie Jack Parsons, who stopped the shot. The puck didn’t go into the corner. Instead it slid to the right of the net, and Resendes got back on the rebound and sent it over a leaning Parsons for the game-winning score with 18.6 seconds left in overtime.

“Experience in the league and playing in the league is so valuable. I think that you see that, and you expect that from those guys,” Ward said when talking about Resendes. “The details and big situations, they’ve been there. For Landan, it was his first goal as a Phantom, and I know he wanted that one.”

The Phantoms got after the Steel quickly to open the game.

The Steel’s Alex Calbeck was called for tripping, sending the Phantoms on a power play less than 45 seconds into the game. Adam Benak scored his fourth goal of the season after finding some room to the right of the offensive zone. He delivered a shot from the center of the right face-off circle.

Michael Munroe recorded his first goal of the year when he similarly found space near the right circle at the 11:16 mark.

Youngstown (7-7-0-0, 14 points) got off to another fast start to begin the second period.

Carter Murphy sent the puck toward the net from between the left circle and the blue line. He was credited with his first career United States Hockey League goal 1:44 into the frame.

Chicago (6-9-2-0, 14 points) got one back after the Phantoms were undermanned.

The Phantoms’ had already killed off a two-minute minor when Justin Kerr was called for tripping, but just as they got back to even strength, Luke Santilli was sent to the box for a four-minute high stick.

Youngstown’s penalty killers almost got the job done, but they came up a couple seconds short. Just as Santilli was exiting the box, Tobias Ohman sent a one-timer over the glove side of Phantoms goalie Owen Lepak at the 14:44 mark of the second.

The Phantoms held a 3-1 lead to start the third period, and a fight between Youngstown’s Coleson Hanrahan and Chicago’s Hudson Gorski injected some energy into the Covelli Centre. But it also provided a bit of a spark for the Steel.

Youngstown’s Michael Coleman was sent to the sin bin for a cross check a couple minutes into the third. Ohman added his second power-play goal of the night at 3:13 to put pressure back on Youngstown.

Kolin Sisson applied some pressure to the Phantoms via the rush just seconds later. He sent the puck to the net while driving from the right side, and it got past Lepak to tie the game at three at 4:14.

Murphy came through for the Phantoms again with less than 10 minutes to play. He sent a shot from the right circle in a nearly identical fashion to his second-period goal. His shot made it past Parsons, and the Phantoms took a 4-3 lead.

But the scoreboard changed again just over a minute later. Will Tomko skated toward the net and sent a shot over Lepak’s blocker to tie the game at four less than 13 minutes into the third.

“Kinda weird moments,” Ward said. “We have a fight — we’re up 3-1 — probably gave them a bit more energy, we take a penalty and didn’t execute what we were supposed to do.”

Both teams tried to take advantage of a few chances, but nothing created a high-danger situation, leading to overtime and Resendes’ clinching goal.

Lepak stopped 17-of-21 shots for his first win in Youngstown. Forwards Jack Hextall, Michael Mesic, Mikey Burchill, Jakub Hes, Kerr and Resendes were credited with one assist each, along with defenseman Luke Osburn.

The Phantoms have a big week coming up as they host Cedar Rapids on Friday and Saturday before the Team USA 18U’s visit on Sunday.

“We’re gonna have to grind, we’re gonna have to dig deep and we’re gonna have to find another gear,” Ward said.

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Youngstown Phantoms defenseman Cal Huston will always be the first.

Huston’s debut on Covelli Centre ice earlier this month marked the first time a Youngstown native suited up in a Phantoms’ uniform on home ice. His one appearance last season during a road trip was the blueliner’s debut with his hometown team.

So far through the 2024-25 campaign, Huston has been a mainstay for the Phantoms, playing quality minutes throughout the team’s 10 games thus far.

“Cal’s worked really hard to get to where he’s gotten to, and it’s always special for a hometown kid to play in front of his friends and family,” Phantoms coach Ryan Ward said. “Credit to him. He’s done a great job.”

As a hometown kid who found his love of the sport in the same seats Phantom fans sit in today, the full-circle moment has been a special feeling.

“A lot of people asked me how it was, and it was truly unreal,” Huston said. “It was weird. I really had a lot of butterflies and my stomach was nervous for the game, because the biggest thing to me was just take it all in. You only really get that chance once. I wanted to enjoy every moment of it. I’m just super grateful for that opportunity, and especially starting that night to hear the crowd kind of roar for me, that was truly amazing.”

Huston was born in 2005, around the same time the Youngstown SteelHounds were preparing to drop the puck on their first season of play.

The SteelHounds ceased operations in 2008, and the Phantoms joined the USHL and moved to the Covelli Centre a year later. By then, Huston was hooked.

“I don’t really remember a ton from the games themselves, but I do remember sitting in section 217, at the very top — that’s actually where I used to watch the Phantoms games as well,” Huston said. “I think the thing that really drew me to it was just a fast pace. Honestly, I liked everything about that, and I liked how things were constantly moving. Different parts were meshing that created more and more. Ultimately, hockey I thought was just really cool.”

As the years went on, Huston found himself not only a growing fan of the sport, following the Pittsburgh Penguins, but also playing the sport. That included a stint with the Phantoms Youth Hockey Association.

Coming through the Phantoms youth program, Huston interacted with several players and coaches with the USHL program. Guys like Sam Anas, Kyle Connor, Ryan Lomberg, and then-coach Anthony Noreen.

Noreen is now the head coach of Miami University of Ohio’s hockey program, where Huston committed to attend. Just before his debut in Youngstown, Huston posted the news on social media.

“Coach (Ward) texted me pretty much as soon as I got on campus to Miami, and I told him ‘I’m not 100% sure yet, but this just feels right,’” Huston said. “I hadn’t met the entire coaching staff yet, or any guys or anything like that. I was still at the hotel there at Miami, waiting for the game later that night, and I told him that things just felt right. What he told me, and it was a super simple piece of advice, ‘Just trust your gut.’

“I had a good couple days there. Fell in love with the campus itself. Fell in love with the message that the coaches had, just the culture they have there and big plans and good things turn around. I think that was really what did it for me, and that’s something I want to be a part of.”

It’s a full-circle moment for both Huston and Noreen.

“We’ve joked about that for a while, texting back and forth,” Huston said. “Things have finally come full circle, and obviously, that’s super cool. I’m super excited to play for (Noreen).”

When he was younger, longtime Penguins defenseman Kris Letang served as Huston’s inspiration. As he’s grown, the Phantoms blueliner has taken bits from another defenseman and worked them into his game.

“When I was younger, I always modeled myself after Kris Letang,” Huston said. “He’s a great leader, on and off the ice. Obviously, a lot of young kids model their game after him. But now I think I’ve grasped understanding of the game and know the player I am. I think today I want to model my game more like (Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman) Jake McCabe. More of a 200-foot player playing both sides of the puck. Really sort of like a Swiss army knife, can play in all situations, can be trusted in all situations.”

Huston and the Phantoms sit 5-5-0-0 through the first 10 games. After a shaky start, which is expected with a young group, the team is turning a corner and has started gelling. Last weekend’s sweep of Sioux City has been a big source of optimism in the locker room.

“Obviously, we’re still a fairly young team, but I think this past weekend really showed our grit and determination,” Huston said. “We played a top team in the West this past weekend, and getting the sweep was huge. I think we have really good depth, and I think that’s what will take us very far.”

The Phantoms have a two-game road set against Madison this weekend. They’ll return home the following weekend to take on Chicago.

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We’re still months away from the 2025 NHL Draft, but that should not hinder excitement surrounding the draft-eligible talent playing in the USHL.

Added, the recent release of the Central Scouting Preliminary List gave us a baseline for where these players are ranked at the start of the season.

As the season progresses, these rankings certainly will evolve when the Mid-Term Rankings are published in January and the final rankings just before the draft.

With that, let’s look at how the draft-eligible players are performing in the USHL through the first two months of the season:

William Moore, C, NTDP U18 Team

Moore was one of two current NTDP skaters who checked in as an “A” rating in the initial installment of the list.

The 17-year-old’s combination of size and speed pairs well with a strong game down the middle.

Moore already has four goals and six assists, making his 10 points the most on the NTDP U18s roster through the first 14 games of the season.

While his three-game point streak ended last Saturday, Moore has been a consistent producer as the U18s work their way through the NCAA portion of their schedule.

Charlie Trethewey, D, NTDP U18 Team

Trethewey just might have the hardest shot among all defensemen in this draft class.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound blueliner has four points on two goals and two assists in 14 games so far.

Trethewey has demonstrated his ability as a two-way defenseman.

He has strong offensive instincts and plays a physical brand of defense in his own zone.

Carter Amico, D, NTDP U18 Team

While Amico checked in as a “B” rating in the preliminary rankings, he is a player who certainly could work his way into first-round conversation.

At 6-foot-5 and 217 pounds, Amico skates very well for someone his size.

Amico primarily has played a defensive role for the NTDP and can quickly shut down plays by imposing punishing hits.

Still, his mobility suggests he can provide some offense from the blueline as he continues to develop.

Adam Benak, F, Youngstown Phantoms

Benak has made the transition to the USHL look seamless.

The 17-year-old already has two goals and six assists, making his eight points the second-most on Youngstown’s roster.

Listed at just 5-foot-7, Benak rightfully was listed as a “B” rating in the initial rankings.

However, he is a player who can elevate his draft stock as he continues to produce against bigger competition.

An offensive speedster, Benak certainly has the tools to make it happen.

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The Maryland Black Bears defeated the Elmira Aviators 6-2 on Saturday, November 01, 2024.

The visiting Black Bears opened strong, at the beginning of the game with Tanner Duncan scoring within the first minute, goal assisted by Victor Mannebratt and Kareem El Bashir .

The Aviators tied the score 1-1 in the first period when Curtiss Sturgeon scored, assisted by Andrew Piccirillo .

The Black Bears took the lead in the first period when Dylan Gordon scored, assisted by Liam Doherty and Markas Samenas .

The second period ended with a 4-1 lead for the Black Bears.

Isac Nielsen made it 5-1 with a goal early in the third period, assisted by Harrison Smith and Mason Stenger.

Curtiss Sturgeon narrowed the gap to 5-2 with a goal eight minutes later, assisted by Bryce Terry and Cooper Eberhardt .

Tyler Stern also increased the lead to 6-2 with a goal two minutes later, assisted by Markas Samenas and Tanner Duncan.

Next games:
On Friday, November 08, 2024, the Aviators will host Maine at 6:30 p.m. CST at The Colisee and the Black Bears will host Rochester at 6:30 p.m. CST at Piney Orchard Ice Arena.

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