PHANTOMS MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE DESPITE 4-3 SHOOTOUT LOSS YOUNGSTOWN EXTENDS POINT STREAK TO SEVEN GAMES; TWO POINT NIGHTS FOR SMITH & HEŠ

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – The Youngstown Phantoms (41-18-0-2, 82 points) gained a critical point in the standings by forcing overtime before eventually falling in the shootout to the Chicago Steel by the final score of 4-3 Sunday night at the Covelli Centre. Chicago won the shootout 1-0 to earn the bonus point.

“I thought our guys played well,” said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. “They did a good job sticking with it. That was a huge point tonight, Muskegon lost, obviously we’re in the driver’s seat, so we win the next two, we win the conference. We’ll shift our focus to next weekend and getting the job done.”

Chicago opened the scoring with a fluky goal 5:05 into the game. Noah LaPointe’s dump in from center ice bounced in front of Melvin Strahl (20 saves), kicked to his left, and bounced into the net, spotting the visitors an early 1-0 lead. Youngstown tied it late in the period when Jakub Heš scored from the edge of the crease during a net-front scramble at 18:55.

The Phantoms jumped in front at 13:22 of the second when Matti Butkovskiy tipped home a shot from the edge of the crease, sneaking it through the five hole of Louka Cloutier (33 saves). The Youngstown lead did not last long, however, as the Steel jumped back in front just under four minutes later on a power play goal from Tobias Ohman at 17:20 and a one-timer from Aidan Dyer at 18:38.

Youngstown hopped on the comeback trail again, tying the game early in the third. Peter Cisar bumped a man off the puck behind the Chicago net, with Jamison Sluys coming in to pick up the loose change. Sluys spun in the corner and fired a cross-ice pass to Jack Willson, whose wrister from the left circle found twine, knotting the game at 3-3. Youngstown had the better of the scoring chances the remainder of regulation, including a pair of shorthanded rushes, but could not find a way back in front, sending the game to overtime.

The extra frame was the same story for Youngstown, who dominated possession and had a couple of odd-man chances, but could not find a game winner, sending the game to the shootout. Ohman converted on the first shot of the skills competition, while each of the next five shooters failed to convert, giving Chicago the extra point.

The point in the standings broke a three-way tie for first place in the Eastern Conference, jumping Youngstown past Dubuque and Madison, leaving the Phantoms in control of their playoff fate. Four points in the standings next weekend against Team USA will give the Phantoms the second regular season Eastern Conference title in team history. The Phantoms will play a home-and-home with the U17s, with Friday night being played in Michigan before the two teams come to Youngstown for the regular season finale on Saturday at 6:05pm.

Shots – 36

Saves – 20

Power Play – 0/1

Penalty Kill – 3/4

Goals – Buttkovskiy, Heš, Willson

Assists – Heš, Osburn, Sluys, Smith (2)

Box Score - https://ushl.com/ht/#/game-summary/12343

PHOTO CREDIT: SCOTT GALVIN/SCOTT GALVIN PHOTOGRAPHY