“I thought we had a lot of momentum in the first couple minutes,” Phantoms coach Brad Patterson said. “At the end of the first, I thought they got some significant chances. As the game went on I thought we got better and better and then we get one in the last minute with the goalie out, and then we traded chances in overtime.”

The Steel have the top offense in the USHL and have the top four scoring players in the league in their lineup. The plan wasn’t to outright stop Chicago’s chances, but to limit them with an aggressive forecheck.

“For us to be successful, we have to be hard on the forecheck, we have to limit time and space,” Patterson said. “Whether you do that or you don’t allow those guys on the other team, they’re going to get their opportunities, they’re going to get their chances and it’s about limiting those.”

Chicago got off to a hot start, taking a 2-0 lead after the first period. Six minutes into the second period, Ben Schoen cut the lead in half with his fifth goal of the season.

Staff photo / Brian Yauger Aiden Gallacher skates into position during an offensive rush for the Phantoms. Gallacher finished with a goal and an assist.

After another Chicago goal, the Phantoms fired off two more goals to close out the period. Matthew Cassidy cut the game to 3-2 and captain Aidan Gallacher knotted the game up at three goals each.

Gallacher has been emerging in an offensive role for the Phantoms this season.

“He’s playing in much different situations than what he was last year,” Patterson said. “He played big minutes for us in a shutdown role. He still loves doing that and he’s extremely hard to play against.

“He’s taken on some offensive responsibilities quite a bit and those were areas that maybe he didn’t get the opportunity to do last year, but at the same time, he’s really developed into that. He’s put in a lot of hard work.”

In the third period, Phantoms winger Matthew Cassidy once again responded to a Chicago goal to send the game to overtime. In the extra period however, it was the Steel who had the edge as Elis Hede scored the game-winner with two minutes to go.

The Phantoms (19-19-6-2, 46 points) go up to Michigan for a one-game tilt against the US National Team Development Program before returning home Saturday for a matchup against the Waterloo Black Hawks.

“It’ll be similar to tonight,” Patterson said. “(Team USA) actually just recently called up their big time players from the younger team. They have their world championship team together right now. It’s going to be an extremely tough task for us. We refuel here today and be ready to jump on the bus and get after it tomorrow.”