The post Biggby Coffee Hockey Club Joins The Henry Ford’s “Hockey: Faster Than Ever” Exhibit first appeared on Black Bear Sports Group.

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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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“This partnership comes at a time of continuous expansion and growth here at 1st Summit Bank” states J. Eric Renner, CEO and President of 1st Summit Bank. “We are committed to giving back to all of the communities in which we serve, and I feel that this partnership signifies that commitment to Westmoreland County and to all the players and families that utilize this facility.”

“1st Summit Bank is a great community partner,” said Black Bear Sports Group Founder and CEO Murry N. Gunty. “Their commitment to supporting local facilities like Palmer Imaging Arena aligns perfectly with our mission to provide top-notch recreational opportunities for families and athletes. This expanded partnership enhances our ability to serve the community and deliver exceptional experiences for everyone who visits the arena.”
About 1st Summit Bank- A true community bank for the past century, 1st Summit Bank focuses on relationship banking for both consumers and businesses within our region. 1st Summit Bank provides banking, financial, and investment services through 18 full-service community offices and a loan production office within Cambria, Westmoreland, Blair, Somerset, and Indiana counties.

About Palmer Imaging Arena – Opened in 1997, the 125,000 square-foot facility includes three NHL-sized ice rinks, with one of the ice rinks converting in March through August to dry floor concrete /sport court. These ice rinks are complemented by two meeting/party rooms that support a variety of corporate and community functions as well as group outings/field trips. Palmer Imaging Arena’s mix of surfaces provides for a host of programs, program drop ins, leagues, themed events, expos, trade shows, shows and concerts. The facility is home to many user groups as along with a variety of on-site businesses including Wallace Fitness Center, KoSports Hockey, Real Good Pizza, and The Happy Badgers Sports Pub. For more information, go to www.palmerimagingarena.com.

About Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. – 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 arenas are clean, professionally managed, and offer world-class recreational programs. 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. Black Bear not only features the ability to acquire healthy and stable arenas but also the expertise required to turn around mismanaged or underperforming facilities. The largest owner/operator of ice arenas in the U.S., Black Bear’s footprint totals 38 facilities across the United States with 74 sheets of indoor ice, four indoor turf fields, 39 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), six Junior “A” hockey franchises 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. For more, go to http://www.blackbearsportsgroup.com/

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The Pittsburgh Summer Sizzler will showcase Full Ice Mite (Advanced), Squirt, Peewee, Bantam, 16U, and 18U divisions. Both events will take place at three convenient locations, Palmer Imaging Arena in Delmont, Pittsburgh Ice Arena in New Kensington, and Printscape Arena -Southpointe on June 10th-12th.

“Pittsburgh is a perfect market for a summer youth hockey tournament, all three-event facilities Palmer Imaging Arena, Pittsburgh Ice Arena, and Printscape Arena are fantastic venues,” said Defender Hockey President Matthew Kiernan.

“We are thrilled to be partnered with Defender Hockey, “said former Pittsburgh Penguins standout and TK Hockey owner Tyler Kennedy. “Along with Cliff Loya from National Elite Hockey, this is certain to be an outstanding event at each level”.
​
About Defender Hockey Tournaments – Founded in 2019, Defender Hockey Tournaments offers competitive youth hockey tournaments year-round for all ages from mites through midgets. Defender values sports and entertainment and believes the events should be both fun and competitive. Defender also believes customers should be rewarded with a unique experience as soon as they walk into the ice arena. Dedicated staff commit to providing excellent customer service to all clients, on and off the ice. For more information, https://www.defenderhockeytournaments.com/home

About TK Hockey. – Tyler Kennedy grew up on the frozen covered track in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He started skating at a young age and would spend hours on the ice to perfect his game. He joined the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, of the OHL for several years when he was younger. And, at just 20 years old, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the ’04 draft. He spent several years in Pittsburgh and was a part of the 2009 Stanley Cup Champion team. After spending some time in San Jose, New York & New Jersey, he battled a few injuries and was forced to retire. With over 500 games played in the NHL, he wanted to share his love for hockey and help kids learn the game. Tyler’s days are now full of being a teacher of the game, along with being a father & a husband in Pittsburgh. For more information, http://www.tylerkennedytraining.com

About National Elite Hockey. –
National Elite Hockey Development teaches players the right, not the easy, way to play the game.
National Elite pride itself on providing the best staff in the area, who are dedicated to teaching aspiring players. NE Hockey focuses on these two aspects, along with proper technique of individual skills. More importantly, they assist in developing skills that will translate to days after hockey. For more information, https://nationalelitehockey.com

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The post Black Bears Sports Group Launches DuPage Black Bears Boys and Girls Youth Hockey, Name Scott Maeder as Hockey Director first appeared on Black Bear Sports Group.

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The post Black Bear Sports Group, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack hire Bob Ferraris as Hockey Director of Hartford Jr. Wolfpack AAA and Champions Ice Center first appeared on Black Bear Sports Group.

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The post Black Bear Sports Group Launches Largest Co-Ed Adult Learn to Play Hockey Program in the U.S.A. first appeared on Black Bear Sports Group.

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