PHANTOMS EARN WEEKEND SWEEP WITH 5-3 WIN HAT TRICK FOR MESIC; LEPAK SLAMS DOOR SHUT IN RELIEF

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – Despite finding themselves down 3-0 less than seven minutes into the game, the Youngstown Phantoms (38-18-0-1, 77 points) rallied for five unanswered goals as they knocked off the Fargo Force 5-3 at the Covelli Centre Saturday night, sweeping the weekend series and extending their winning streak to four games.

“There was never a moment where our team was deflated,” said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. “There was never a moment where I thought we weren’t going to win the game. I thought the guys did a great job staying focused.”

Fargo scored on each of their first three shots, chasing Melvin Strahl from the net just 6:45 into the game. Ryan Zaremba blocked a shot in his own end, corralled the bouncing puck at center, and scored on the breakaway just 1:53 into the game to give the visitors the lead. Riley Bassen put home the rebound of a blocked shot at 6:37 to double the Force advantage. Youngstown attempted to challenge the goal, as the play was obviously offside, but offside is not reviewable in the USHL. Off the ensuing faceoff, Noah West’s dump-in to the right wing corner took a hard bounce off the board and came right back to West, who then slid the puck to a wide open Merril Steenari for the empty-net tap-in and a 3-0 Fargo lead. Strahl was lifted in favor of Owen Lepak, who stopped 21/21 in relief to earn the win.

Michael Mesic started Youngstown on the comeback trail at 8:22, firing home a sharp-angle one-timer, thanks to a nice pass from Ryan Rucinski. Mesic’s power play goal trimmed the Fargo lead to 3-1. Kade Stengrim cut the lead further with a one-timer from the left circle at 18:29 for his ninth of the year. Johnny Conlin earned an assist on the play, his first point as a Phantom. Off the ensuing faceoff, Peter Cisar created a turnover, forcing a puck to Mesic. Mesic walked to the right dot and snapped a wrister past Dane Callaway at 18:42, knotting the game at 3-3 heading into the first intermission.

After a scoreless second period, the Phantoms took their first lead of the night 6:04 into the third period. Landan Resendes beat two defenders to the puck in the neutral zone, entered the Fargo end cutting to the right, and snapped a shot past Callaway for his 16th of the season and a 4-3 Youngstown lead. Mesic scored on the empty net at 19:23, capping off his first USHL hat trick.

The Phantoms wrap up the regular season with four-out-of-five at home, starting next Friday against Waterloo before a weekend pair with Chicago, concluding with a road-home set against Team USA.

Shots – 24

Saves – 21

Power Play – 1/7

Penalty Kill – 5/5

Goals – Mesic (3), Resendes, Stengrim

Assists – Cisar, Conlin, Heš, Jardine, Rucinski, Santilli

Box Score - https://ushl.com/ht/#/game-summary/12318

PHOTO CREDIT SCOTT GALVIN/SCOTT GALVIN PHOTOGRAPHY