BOX SCORE

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – A four-goal second period by the visitors turned a 1-0 lead for the Youngstown Phantoms (35-18-4-1, 75 points) into a 4-2 hole they could not recover from as they fell to the Chicago Steel 6-2 Saturday night at the Covelli Centre.

Youngstown opened the scoring just past the five-minute mark of the first period. Matt Perkins and Andon Cerbone worked to create a turnover as the Steel were trying to exit their own zone. Cerbone bumped the puck to Kenta Isogai, creating a mini 2-on-1 with Chase Pietila. Isogai connected on the cross-ice pass to Pietila in the right circle, and Pietila buried the one-timer past Christian Manz (30 saves) for his seventh goal of the season and a 1-0 Youngstown lead.

Chicago converted their first of three power play goals on the night at 9:57 of the second when rookie sensation Mack Celebrini went blazing down left wing and snapped a wrister over the shoulder of Colin Winn (17 saves). Youngstown answered back 40 seconds later when Cerbone cashed in with a wrister from the slot at 10:37, but that would be all the offense the Phantoms could muster. Michael Hage converted on the power play at 14:03, pulling the puck away from a crowded crease and firing it to the twine with Winn down and out of the play. Jack Harvey got the game-winning goal at 15:50, beating Winn with a one-timer on the rush. Quinn Finley scored on the breakaway 45 seconds later to cap off the four-goal Chicago second.

The Steel kept their foot on the gas, converting on the power play 6:00 into the third period when Jake Livinavage put home the rebound of Nick Moldenhauer's shot. Moldenhauer, not to be outdone, finished the scoring on the evening for Chicago, muscling his way through a Pietila check and beating Winn upstairs at 13:48.

The loss, coupled with a 4-0 win over Cedar Rapids by Team USA dropped the Phantoms into a tie at 75 points with Team USA, but with Team USA owning the first tiebreaker (Regulation + Overtime Wins), the Phantoms see themselves in third place in the Eastern Conference with four games remaining in the regular season. Youngstown takes their final road trip of the season next weekend, heading out to Iowa for a pair of games against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

By the Numbers
Shots – 32
Saves – 17
Power Play – 0/5
Penalty Kill – 3/6
Goals – Cerbone, Pietila
Assists – Cerbone, Isogai (2), Perkins