Phantoms down Team USA for home win
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YOUNGSTOWN -- Coach Nathan Paetsch and the Youngstown Phantoms have won their first game on Covelli Centre ice this season, taking down the US National Team Development Program, 7-2, on Tuesday.
"There’s a lot of good, and there’s a lot of habits and details we have to clean up. Overall, you know, a win’s a win, but essentially, there’s a few things we got to do a little better," Paetsch said. "I thought in the D-zone we got running around and a little scrambly. Offensively, we did some good things, but there was a lot we have to clean up going into the weekend."
Jesse Orlowsky put a shot on net which was quickly absorbed by Team USA netminder Mason Martin’s pads, but Oliver Raimovaara was in the right place to put away the rebound and give the Phantoms a 1-0 advantage.
Three minutes later, the captain, Malachi McKinnon, earned his first goal of the season, and 2010-born defenseman Jack Hair followed quickly behind.
But Team USA had a response.
Not long into their first power play of the night, the U-17s capitalized. Michigan State commit Jack Trupiano fired a shot that beat Phantoms goaltender Owen Lepak to cut into Youngstown’s lead.
Picking up the assist was Maverick McKinnon, younger brother of Malachi.
"All I know is the young brother won the first faceoff," Paetsch. "I purposely put him out there and the little guy got him. I thought that was great. That’s what it’s all about, family. This night had a lot of different undertones to it, which was very special for all of us."
It was a game of familial ties as the NTDP’s top-pairing defenseman on Tuesday was Kellen Paetsch, the son of coach Paetsch.
"It was weird because on the first two shifts he got blown up, and my wife texted me after the first period, saying 'Are they targeting him?' I’m just a proud dad," Paetsch said. "I thought once he settled in, I thought he played really well. Good stuff. I’m proud of him."
Forward Jackson Conroy earned his first goal of the season to kick off the middle frame, extending Youngstown’s lead to 4-1.
But the goals kept coming. Stephen Cover scored for the Phantoms on the power play. Shortly after, McKinnon got his second of the night off a textbook tic-tac-toe goal assisted by Cover and Lukas Zajic.
Team USA’s Henry Buttweiler scored an unassisted goal in the third period.
Hair struck again late in the game, smacking the puck past Martin’s right shoulder with 15 seconds remaining in the game.
Hair recently turned 16, but youth has not been a hindrance for the young defenseman. Hair has scored four goals in seven games, tied for the team lead.
"He’s got like this swagger to him," Paetsch said. "He’s a young guy, but he’s very mature, and I know it’s hockey, but we say that he’s a ball player. He just plays ball, and he’s so coachable. He’s extremely likable, and he just has kind of an ‘it’ factor to him. He’s just been a pleasant surprise for us."
Youngstown outshot the opposition 41-24 in the victory. Lepak finished the night with 23 saves.
The Phantoms (2-5-0-0, 4 points) are on the road for the rest of the month. This weekend, they have a pair of contests with rival Muskegon. The team returns to Youngstown on Nov. 6 with a two-game set against Madison.