BOX SCORE

Youngstown, OH – The Youngstown Phantoms (26-15-4-4, 60pts) fell short to the Muskegon Lumberjacks 6-5 in a shootout Friday Night at the Covelli Centre. Youngstown had a three-goal lead at the start of the third period but failed to protect it. Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward was not pleased with his team's effort, however, there was one bright spot in Nathan Lewis.

"I thought we played well for two periods, and in the third period we were an immature hockey team...we made some critical mistakes, some missed assignments and it's completely inexcusable to blow two three-goal leads at home," Ward said. "It was really great to have (Lewis) back. He was a huge emotional lift and a force on the ice."

The newly-healthy Lewis finished a one timer from in front of the crease to open the game with his first Phantoms goal on his first shot of the season at 1:15. Lewis suffered an upper-body injury in the Phantoms first preseason game of the season against Muskegon. Zach Morin got in on the action seven minutes later after he skated down the left-wing wall and finished a beautiful pass from Adam Pietila to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Phantoms. The 2-0 lead held going into the first intermission.

The Phantoms wasted no time extending their lead to three as Grant Young fired a missile into the cage off a 2-on-1 at 6:07 in the second period. Young's goal led to Muskegon's goalie Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev being pulled in favor of Miles Roberts. The Lumberjacks started to claw their way back as Ethan Whitcomb sent a slapshot past Aiden Wright to make the score 3-1 halfway through the period. Not long after at 12:59, the Phantoms three goal lead was returned when Ryan Botterill cashed in a turnover that saw the Lumberjack goalie fumble the puck behind his own net and give it right to Botterill at the side of the cage. Botterill dumped it into the empty net just before Roberts could get back into position, tying him for the team lead in goal scoring with his 21^st of the season. The Phantoms ended the period with a 4-1 lead.

The Lumberjacks kept chipping away at the lead in the final frame. Cameron Aucoin cut the lead to two just 2:05 into the period, but Lewis answered right back a minute later to make the score 5-2. Lewis' second goal of the game came off a great Botterill center where Lewis sent a rocket to the top shelf. Matvei Gridin, Ty Henricks, and Justin Solovey scored three unanswered goals in the final 13 minutes of the period to push the game to overtime tied at 5. Solovey's marker was a redirect of a Joe Connor shot with 30.4 seconds left in regulation and Roberts on the bench for the extra attacker.

The home team had plenty of good looks in overtime, ultimately sending the contest to a shootout. Henricks came up short for the visitors in the first round while Young converted for the Phantoms. Sacha Boisvert answered right back with a score, knotting the shootout at 1-1. Three players could not put this one to bed, two Phantoms and one Lumberjack. Whitcomb sent one home in the fourth round for the Lumberjacks, leaving Sascha Boumedienne with a chance to extend the game, but Boumedienne could not cash in, and Muskegon came away with the 6-5 come from behind win.

Wright stopped 28 of 33 for the Phantoms, while Gadzhiev and Roberts combined to save 25 of 30 for Muskegon.

The Phantoms host the Muskegon Lumberjacks again tomorrow night for Roman Era Night at the Covelli Centre. Puck drop is slated for 7:05.
 
By the Numbers
Shots – 30
Saves – 28
Power Play – 0/2
Penalty Kill – 0/1
Goals – Botterill, Lewis (2), Morin, Young
Assists – Botterill, Cerrato, Morin, Pietila (2), Pitner, Strathmann