BOX SCORE


YOUNGSTOWN, OH – The Dubuque Fighting Saints returned to the Covelli Centre for the first time in 609 days, but the Youngstown Phantoms (5-5-1-0, 11pts) were poor hosts to their Eastern Conference rivals as they put up seven goals on the visitors, knocking them off by a 7-2 final. Twelve different Phantoms registered points in the win that extended the Phantoms' winning streak to three games, point streak to four games, and snapped a seven-game losing streak to Dubuque.

"I thought tonight we came out and played hard," said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. "I thought our start was good. Our depth today really carried us through. Every zone I thought we were tight. We got a great performance from the net out, so very happy with our first home ice victory."

It didn't take the Youngstown offense long to get started, as their captain gave them a 1-0 lead before the game was five minutes old. Shane Lachance picked off a clearing pass and walked in on net, tucking a backhander around Marcus Brannman (22 saves) at 4:28 to give Youngstown a lead they would not relinquish. Kenta Isogai put home a rebound at 8:26, and it was the same for Justin Varner with a power play goal at 13:59 to give the Phantoms a 3-0 lead at the first intermission. Youngstown was 4/7 on the power play this evening, going against a team that led the league in penalty killing efficiency coming into the game with an 87.9% mark. The Phantoms power play came into the game ice cold as well, going just 3/26 (11.5%) over the last 6 games.

Dubuque came storming back to start the second period scoring twice in the first seven minutes to draw within a goal. Owen Michaels scored on a shorthanded breakaway at 4:36 and Jacob Jeanette tapped a puck into an open cage after a defensive breakdown by the Phantoms, but those were the only two markers that Jacob Fowler would allow on the night, stopping 23-of-25.

Youngstown scored twice in a forty second-span late in the period to end any hopes of a Dubuque comeback. Tyler Catalano extended his scoring streak to three games by redirecting home an Andrew Strathmann wrist shot at 13:11. Reese Laubach drew a penalty coming into the offensive zone off the ensuing faceoff, leading to William Whitelaw's power play goal at 13:51, a wrister from the top of the circles that Brannman had no chance of seeing thanks to the screen of Lachance.

The Phantoms kept their foot on the gas in the third period, adding on a pair of power play goals in the first four minutes. Lachance got his second of the night, stuffing home the rebound of a Whitelaw shot at 1:48. Nick Williams, who announced his commitment to Michigan Tech this week, capped off the scoring with a wrist shot through traffic from the left wall for a power play goal of his own at 3:39.

Youngstown wraps up this quick two-game homestand with another contest against Dubuque on Saturday night at the Covelli Centre before taking back to the road for a three-game span. Puck drop on Saturday night is scheduled for 7:05pm.

By the Numbers
Shots – 29
Saves – 23
Power Play – 4/7
Penalty Kill – 4/4
Goals – Catalano, Isogai, Lachance (2), Varner, Whitelaw, Williams
Assists – Bischoff, Catalano, Clark, Pietila, Rozzi, Strathmann (3), Whitelaw, Willson