Youngstown, OH - The Youngstown Phantoms (17-9-3-1, 38 points) hosted a nail-biter against the Omaha Lancers Friday night that ultimately turned sour for the home team. Failing to protect a third period lead, the Phantoms ultimately fell in the shootout 3-2. Omaha prevailed in the skills competition 1-0 in six rounds to grab the extra point.
 
After dropping both on their home stand, Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward saw some good after the loss. 
 
"The guys are trying, they're busting their (tails) and at the end of the day, sometimes it works for you and sometimes it doesn't," Ward said. "Tonight I don't question our effort. Last night was a bad effort and they know it and I thought they did a good job fixing that tonight."
 
The action started very slow on this chilly Friday night, with zero goals being scored in the first period. Penalties came early and often in the period leading to many fruitless power play attempts.
 
The Lancers got into the scoring column first, when Gabe Kenne scored at the 3:28 mark. The Phantoms woke up after the Lancer goal, as Ryan Botterill finished a sneaky short side shot at 8:39. Almost four minutes later, scorching hot Adam Pietila executed a perfectly drawn-up play, where Charlie Cerrato maneuvered the puck behind the cage, and found Pietila wide open on the backside for an easy one-timer for his team-leading 14th goal of the season and a 2-1 Youngstown lead. Colin Winn (26 saves) resembled a brick wall all night, but especially in the 2nd period when he saved nine of the ten shots that came his way. 
 
Cam VanSickle scored the only goal of the third period at 13:27, to tie the game at two apiece. That goal led the game to overtime. Winn and the Phantoms defense stood tall in OT, but Youngstown's offense couldn't find a way past Mikhail Yegorov (28 saves), sending the game to a shootout. 
 
Both teams fell short in the first five rounds of the shootout. In the top of the sixth, Lancer forward Justin Stupka snapped a wrister past Winn, putting Youngstown in a must-score situation. The red-hot Miles Gunty took the ice for the home team, but was stoned by Yegorov, giving Omaha the bonus point in the standings and wrapping up their weekend sweep. 
 
The Phantoms take on a lengthy six-game road trip beginning on January 12th in Urbandale, Iowa where they will take on the Des Moines Buccaneers. The next home game for the Phantoms will be Jan. 27th against the U17s.
 
By the Numbers
Shots – 30
Saves – 26
Power Play – 1/5
Penalty Kill – 8/9
Goals – Botterill, Pietila
Assists – Cerrato, Machu, Young