PHANTOMS FALL TO MUSKEGON 3-2 SLUYS STAYS HOT; PHANTOMS HOME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – The Youngstown Phantoms (16-11-0-0, 32 points) found themselves down 2-0 just four minutes into regulation and never recovered as they lost to the Muskegon Lumberjacks 3-2 Friday night at the Covelli Centre. The loss snapped the Phantoms eight-game home winning streak, marking the first loss in Youngstown since mid-October.

“Obviously in the first period (we were) a little rusty,” said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. “Just two mistakes that ended up in our net. I thought in the second and third we were dominant. Just a couple of things to clear up.”

Muskegon grabbed a 1-0 lead before the game was two minutes old. A missed check at the Youngstown blue line led to a 2-on-0 for Muskegon with Tynan Lawrence and Ethan Drabicki. Lawrence pulled the trigger on a shot from in close and while Owen Lepak (15 saves) made the initial save, he could not get to the near post in time to stop Drabicki from putting home the rebound. The Jacks cashed in another odd man rush at 3:30 when Curtis Sanderson finished a 3-on-2 break for Muskegon, putting home the rebound of Xavier Veilleux’s shot.

Youngstown only needed five seconds of the second period to cash in on a carry over power play. With the period’s opening faceoff won into the left-wing corner of the Muskegon end, Adam Benák won the race to the puck and threw it in front, where Kazimier Sobieski chipped it over the shoulder of Shika Gadzhiev (21 saves) to get Youngstown on the board. Sobieski now has five goals in the 10 games since he joined the Phantoms.

Muskegon answered with a power play goal of their own later in the period when Drew Stewart’s one-timer from the left circle found its way through Lepak’s pads at 11:15, putting the Phantoms back down by two heading into the third.

Jamison Sluys continued the hot start to his Phantom career, cashing in on a power play goal at 8:51 of the final frame, getting Youngstown back to within a goal. Carter Murphy leapt to keep a Muskegon clearing attempt in the zone, and was successful, the puck bouncing off his shoulder and staying in the attacking end. After a pass to Sluys, Jamison whipped it past Gadzhiev from the top of the circles for his fourth goal in six games with Youngstown.

Youngstown kept the offensive pressure on, outshooting Muskegon 10-2 in the third period, but could not find an equalizer.

The Phantoms and Lumberjacks will wrap up the 2024 portion of their schedule Saturday at the Covelli Centre with puck drop scheduled for 6:05pm.

By The Numbers

Shots – 23

Saves – 13

Power Play – 2/6

Penalty Kill – 1/2

Goals – Sluys, Sobieski

Assists – Benák, Hextall, Murphy

Box Score – https://ushl.com/ht/#/game-summary/12073

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