After seeing their 3-1 lead turn into a 4-3 deficit, Shane Lachance showed why he’s the captain of the Youngstown Phantoms (29-15-4-1, 63pts), willing his team to a tying goal and snapping a long power-play drought, allowing them to earn a 5-4 shootout win over the Green Bay Gamblers Friday night at the Covelli Centre.

“Shane is invaluable; there’s no one like him in the league,” said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. “He took over that game today and kept the boys dialed in on the bench. He’s been the MVP of our team and an unbelievable character kid all year.”

Although Youngstown was awarded a power play just 24 seconds into regulation, it was Green Bay that opened the scoring. Crisp passing by the Gamblers special teams unit found Nicholas VanTassell alone below the left circle, and he buried a one-timer at 4:13 for the first special-teams goal of the series. Green Bay ended the three-game set 1-for-9 on the power play, while Youngstown ended 1-for-8.

Youngstown scored three times before the end of the period to grab a two-goal lead. William Whitelaw’s aggressive forecheck led to a free puck for Matthew Perkins, and he backhanded it past Kristoffer Eberly (23 saves) to knot the game at 7:55. Whitelaw was the main aggressor in Youngstown’s next goal as well, winning a puck battle in his own zone and in the neutral zone as Lachance came swooping to gather the loose biscuit and snapped a wrister past the shoulder of Eberly at 11:19 for a 2-1 Phantoms lead. It was Lachance’s first goal in 8 games and 27th of the season. Minutes later, Brandon Svoboda made a heady play at the side of the cage, shoveling a shot into the skates of Green Bay’s Jayden Davis, and the puck ricocheted into the net at 13:56 for Svoboda’s 13th of the season, fourth in the last six games.

Green Bay used the only goal of the second period to stop the Youngstown scoring run and start one of their own. VanTassell’s second of the night, a wrister from the right circle that beat a screened Jacob Fowler (29 saves) to the short-glove side at 16:06 of the second. Eli Sebastian scored on a redirect 1:52 into the second period, just moments after a power play ended for the Gamblers, and Davis redeemed himself for his earlier faux pas by giving Green Bay the lead at 3:53, beating Fowler with a one-timer on a nice back-to-front play by the Gamblers.

This was when Youngstown turned to their captain. After a hard dump-in by Whitelaw, the rebound came out to the side of the net, and Lachance was denied by Eberly when he tried to stuff it home. Collecting his own rebound, Lachance spun and fired blindly, connecting with the top corner, glove side of the net, tying the game at 4-4 with 13:35 left in the third period. It was Lachance’s first power-play goal since February 10 (9 games). The power play marker also snapped a 0-for-25 slump with the man advantage.

In overtime, Green Bay had the better of the play, outshooting Youngstown 5-2, including one that kissed off the post, but neither team could find twine and the game went to the shootout. In the skills competition, the first three shooters failed to click for each side. In the top of the fourth, Matthew DiMarsico had his attempt poke-checked away by Fowler. Chase Pietila was sent out for Youngstown in the bottom of the fourth, and the veteran defenseman snapped a wrister from the hash marks past Eberly to give Youngstown the win.

The victory, coupled with Muskegon’s overtime loss, dropped the Phantom's magic number to clinch a playoff spot to 11. Youngstown has a four-point lead on Team USA for the second seed and a first-round bye, but Team USA has four games in hand. The Phantoms trail first-place Chicago by three points and have a game in hand on the Steel. Youngstown will be on the road for the next five contests, beginning with a two-game set next Thursday and Friday night in Dubuque. 

By the Numbers

Shots – 28

Saves – 29

Power Play – 1/2

Penalty Kill – 2/3

Goals – Lachance (2), Perkins, Pietila (SOW), Svoboda

Assists – Cerbone, Pietila, Rozzi, Whitelaw (2)

Source:  Youngstown Phantoms