BOX SCORE

Youngstown, OH - The Youngstown Phantoms (17-8-3-0, 37 points) started the new year slow with a 6-3 home defeat at the hands of the Omaha Lancers.

Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward was not pleased with his team's performance.

"I think it was the worst effort we've had," Ward said. "We were disconnected and we certainly didn't play hard enough to win, and Omaha did."

The Lancers Noah Jones started the scoring off with a goal at 7:21 of the first period to put the home team in a hole early. Miles Gunty found the cage off of a Sam Ranallo rebound for his ninth of the year at 9:25 to knot the game at 1.

After the end of the low-scoring first period, the Lancers ripped off two straight goals when David Deputy scored on a breakaway 28 seconds after the intermission and the first of Nick Pierre's two goals went home at 2:03. The Phantoms answered back at 4:01 when Adam Pietila ripped home a wrister from the inside of the right circle for his team-leading 13^th goal of the season. The Lancers responded right back scoring six seconds later with Pierre's second of the night. The Lancer goal by Ethan Fredericks at 13:48 led to a Phantoms goalie swap when Colin Winn relieved starter Owen Bartoszkiewicz. Two Lancer penalties from Ryan Kroll and Ryan Kusler made it possible for a beautiful five-on-three power-play goal from Daniel Jencko at 16:10, his fourth in seven games with Youngstown. The Phantoms trailed 5-3 to start the third period, but Fredericks ended any hope of a Youngstown comeback when he scored his second goal of the night with a power play tally 2:37 into the final frame.

Lucas Szyszka was in the net for the Lancers tonight, stopping 32 of 35 shots, while Owen Bartoszkiewicz stopped six of the 11 shots sent his way. Colin Winn stepped up big in his 26 minutes of action, stopping 16 of 17 shots.

The Phantoms hope to avenge their Thursday night loss when they host the Lancers again tomorrow night at the Covelli Centre. Puck drop is at 7:05 ET.
 
By the Numbers
Shots – 35
Saves – 22
Power Play – 1/5
Penalty Kill – 3/4
Goals – Gunty, Jencko, Pietila
Assists – Cerrato, Ramos (2), Ranallo (2), Strathmann