BOX SCORE

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – Entering the weekend needing three points in the standings to clinch a first-round bye, the Youngstown Phantoms (37-19-4-1, 79 points) earned two of those three by knocking off Team USA (U17) 3-1 Friday night at the Covelli Centre.

"I thought we played a tight sixty minutes," said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. "We didn't give up much. Overall, I thought it was a good sixty minutes, playoff-type style. I was impressed with our group and their resolve and their willingness to get it done."

After a scoreless first period, it was the visitors that dented the scoreboard first. Brodie Ziemer's wrister from the slot at the 7:00 mark of the second period gave USA a 1-0 lead, but that was all the offense the NTDP could muster on this night against Jacob Fowler (18 saves), who returned after missing three games with an injury.

The U17 lead only lasted 65 seconds as William Whitelaw banged home the rebound of Martin Misiak's shot at 8:05, tying the game. It was Whitelaw's team leading 36^th goal of the season. The Phantoms' grabbed the lead for good at 18:48 when Jake Rozzi's sharp angle shot was redirected in by Andon Cerbone at the edge of the blue paint. Cerbone's 24^th goal of the campaign gave Youngstown a 2-1 lead at the second intermission.

The Phantoms added on an insurance goal with less than seven minutes remaining in the third. While shorthanded, Kenta Isogai forced a turnover while applying pressure on the forecheck. Spinning in the bottom of the left circle, he found Hunter Bischoff in the high slot, and Bischoff buried a one-timer past a sprawled-out Jack Parsons (34 saves) for his fourth goal of the year, first since January 27. The goal at 13:34 of the third period was also the Phantoms' fifth shorthanded tally of the year. The Phantoms were also a perfect 3/3 on the penalty kill Friday night, ending a streak of four-straight games they had allowed a power play goal.

The win gives Youngstown a two-point edge over Team USA in the Eastern Conference standings for second place and a first-round bye. Team USA owns the first tiebreaker (regulation + overtime wins), so Youngstown must get at least one point out of Saturday's game in order to clinch the number-two spot in the Eastern Conference. The Phantoms and Team USA wrap up the regular season Saturday night at the Covelli Centre with a 7:05pm puck drop.

By the Numbers
Shots – 37
Saves – 18
Power Play – 0/1
Penalty Kill – 3/3
Goals – Bischoff, Cerbone, Whitelaw
Assists – Isogai, Misiak, Rozzi, Varner, Willson