BOX SCORE

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – Despite looking lifeless for the first two periods, the Youngstown Phantoms (16-12-3-1 36 points) found themselves in a tied hockey game midway through the third period before the Madison Capitols snapped up the victory, downing Youngstown 4-2 Friday night at the Covelli Centre. It was the first time the Capitols won back-to-back games since sweeping through Youngstown on October 13-14. Four of Madison's nine victories on the season have come against the Phantoms.

"At the end of the day, Madison played great," said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. "They were on their toes. They played with a ton of urgency. Credit to them tonight, we just didn't have it."

The Capitols scored once in each of the first two periods, carrying a 2-0 advantage into the final frame. A Youngstown turnover at their own blue line led to a Jack Musa goal just 30 seconds into the game while Matt McGroarty got loose on a breakaway 90 seconds into the second, snapping a wrister past Colin Winn (34 saves) from the hashmarks. Rastislav Elias stopped all 19 shots that he saw through the first two periods and had 28 saves on the night.

Youngstown finally dented the scoreboard 3:22 into the third period when William Whitelaw got loose behind the defense on a shorthanded breakaway and beat Elias with a backhander to the blocker side. It was Whitelaw's 15^th goal of the season and Madison's league-worst ninth shorthanded goal allowed. Shane Lachance tied the game at 7:22, when his spinning backhander from the edge of the crease beat Elias upstairs, knotting the game at 2-2.

Madison regained the lead just under three minutes later when Jack Brandt, recently acquired by the Capitols, put home a rebound on the power play, giving Madison back the lead at 3-2. Brandt has scored goals in both games he's played in a Capitols uniform.

The Phantoms pulled Winn to the bench for the extra attacker at 18:08, but no sooner did Winn clear the boards that Jonah Aegerter picked up a loose puck in the left wing corner of his own zone and in one motion fired it 200 feet into the empty net, making up the final margin of 4-2.

Madison and Youngstown wrap up their weekend series tomorrow night at the Covelli Centre with a 7:05pm puck drop.

By the Numbers
Shots – 30
Saves – 34
Power Play – 0/4
Penalty Kill – 3/4
Goals – Lachance, Whitelaw
Assists – Isogai, Pitner, Whitelaw