PHANTOMS CAN’T OVERCOME EARLY DEFICIT IN 5-3 GAME 1 LOSS RUCINSKI NETS TWO; LEPAK STELLAR IN RELIEF

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – Facing their largest deficit of the season, the Youngstown Phantoms made a valiant effort at a comeback, but ultimately fell short in a 5-3 loss to the Muskegon Lumberjacks Saturday night at the Covelli Centre in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

“It was a wonky game from start to finish,” said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. “We gave up a couple early that you just can’t give up. Just kind of a weird game tonight. So we’ll flush it; short memories. It’s a race to three, that’s why it’s a five-game series.”

Muskegon jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 97 seconds into the game when Ivan Ryabkin redirected a centering feed from the corner behind Melvin Strahl. David Deputy, who haunted Youngstown with 15 points (4G-11A) in 11 games this season, doubled the ‘Jacks’ lead at 5:41, finishing a back-to-front feed from David Klee. Muskegon has outscored opponents 7-1 in the first period through four playoff games.

The Lumberjacks extended their lead just 23 seconds into the second period when Ryabkin worked the puck into the cage during a net-front scramble. The goal was initially waived off due to goaltender interference, but Muskegon Head Coach Parker Burgess challenged the play and got the call overturned. The ‘Jacks got a power play goal from Teddy Spitznagel at 3:59 when he redirected Xavier Veilleux’s point shot behind Strahl. Muskegon stretched their lead even further on the next shift when the Lumberjacks’ fourth line created a turnover and worked the puck to Jack Christ, who finished a mini-breakaway on Strahl at 4:25. The Christ goal stretched the Muskegon lead to 5-0 and sent Strahl to the bench in favor of Owen Lepak (11 saves). Youngstown earned a late-period power play, but several back-to-back saves in a frantic sequence by Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev (32 saves) kept Youngstown off the board.

The Phantoms finally dented the scoreboard at 4:51 of the third when a neutral zone steal by Jack Hextall worked its way to Evan Jardine. Jardine slipped a pass to Ryan Rucinski, who snapped a wrister from the hashmarks past Gadzhiev. Rucinski doubled the Phantoms’ goal total at 11:55, when he rushed the crease during a scramble and pushed the puck across the goal line. Youngstown got one closer at 13:18 when Conner de Haro’s wrister from the slot hit the back of the net off a pretty feed from Adam Benák. Muskegon shut the door from there, however, grabbing Game 1 by the 5-3 score.

Game 2 will be Sunday night at the Covelli Centre at 7:05 before the series turns to Muskegon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

By The Numbers

Shots – 35

Saves – Lepak 11, Strahl 7

Power Play – 0/6

Penalty Kill – 5/6

Goals – de Haro, Rucinski (2)

Assists – Benák, Hextall, Jardine, Mesic, Sobieski

Box Score - https://ushl.com/ht/#/game-summary/12437

PHOTO CREDIT: SCOTT GALVIN/SCOTT GALVIN PHOTOGRAPHY