BOX SCORE

Youngstown, OH – The Youngstown Phantoms (22-11-4-1, 49pts) completed a weekend sweep of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders with a final score of 5-3 Saturday night.

In the two teams final meeting of the season, Grant Young got his first career hat trick and teddy bears rained on the Covelli Centre ice. Head Coach Ryan Ward loved how his team stayed focused in their third game in as many days.

"I thought [the game] went great; It was an emotional game last night, I thought our guys did a good job of being focused and finding a way to get those two points," Ward said. "We had a great crowd; It was loud and our guys did a great job."

The first period started slow for the home team, leading to a 2-1 deficit early. Cedar Rapids defenseman Erik Kald took advantage of a power play and snapped a shot that found the cage at 6:36. Elliott Groenewold found the vistors' second goal of the period at 13:30. The Phantoms did not record their first shot until over eight minutes into the game. At 14:26, Sam Ranallo got fed on the backside and found an empty net leading to an avalanche of teddy bears. Ranallo's goal brought the score to 2-1, a score that held into the first intermission.

Aiden Welch of the RoughRiders got called for a double minor for high sticking 3:22 into the period, giving the Phantoms four minutes of power play hockey, and they cashed in. Young located a Charlie Cerrato shot that was redirected by Adam Pietila and put it home at 5:20 for his first goal of the night. Kuzma Voronin was the second Phantom to take advantage of the power play when he sent a laser of a wrister from the left circle into the net at 5:51. After falling behind 3-2, the Roughriders pulled starting goalie Rudy Guimond in favor of Sam Scopa.
Kald secured his second goal of the night at 9:33  of the third period to even the score. The Phantoms quickly recovered the lead on Young's second goal of the night when he put home a rebound at 10:34. To finish off a memorable night for Young, he muscled a shot from the red line into an empty net with 4.4 left in the game to seal the 5-3 victory for the Phantoms.

Aiden Wright continues to be a brick wall for the Phantoms, stopping 19 of 22 shots and picking up the third USHL win of his young career. Guimond stopped nine of 12 shots and Scopa saved 12 of 13 in the losing effort.

Saturday night was Coach Ward's 100^th regular season game as a member of the Phantoms, and his 60^th win. Ward gave kudos to this organization and the city.

"This organization for the rest of my life will be something special," Ward said. "Youngstown is now our home, so hopefully we get to way more than 100. The first 100 have gone better than I thought, and I have been fortunate to meet unbelievable people. I love this city and I can't wait for the next 100."

The Phantoms will be in action again Friday the ninth in Michigan to take on the Muskegon Lumberjacks for a weekend series, opening up a five-game road trip. Youngstown starts a season-long eight-game homestand beginning on Feb. 23^rd when they take on the Chicago Steel.

By the Numbers
Shots – 26
Saves – 19
Power Play – 2/2
Penalty Kill – 2/4
Goals – Ranallo, Voronin, Young (3)
Assists – Botterill, Burchill, Cerrato (2), de Haro, Gunty, Pietila, Smith, Voronin