On Friday night at the PPL Center, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-5-1) took on the defending Eastern Conference champions Springfield Thunderbirds (5-5) for the first time this season.
The Phantoms looked to build off their win last Saturday in Laval. Sam Ersson started in goal. He has had an exciting week. Ersson was called up to the Flyers this past Tuesday to back up Felix Sandstrom against the St. Louis Blues, which the Flyers won the game 5-1.
Nolan Maier was called up to the Phantoms from the Reading Royals and was Ersson’s backup while Troy Grosenick continues to miss time with an injury. In addition to Grosenick, Linus Hogberg, Ryan Fitzgerald, Evan Barratt, Adam Brooks, Wyatte Wylie, and Hayden Hodgson were scratched from the game.
A minute and fifty-seven seconds into the first period, Phantoms’ forward Adam Ginning (2) made a terrific backhand pass in between two Thunderbirds’ defensemen toward Cal O’Reilly (4). O’Reilly was unable to score, but Cooper Marody (1) stayed with the play and jammed the puck past the left skate of Joel Hofer and into the net for a 1-0 lead. It was the fastest goal scored for the Phantoms this season.
Then, the Thunderbirds’ offense gained controlled the game. They went on a shooting spree, taking shots from different angles, but Sam Ersson was right there stopping their shots. Midway through the first period, the Phantoms were called for a too-many-men penalty and Alex Kile went to the penalty box. However, the Phantoms prevented the Thunderbirds from scoring, and Springfield was 0/1.
Late in the first period, the Phantoms had a couple of opportunities from Jackson Cates and Louie Belpedio to extend their lead but were unable to, and the Phantoms led 1-0 after one period. The shots were 13-8 Thunderbirds.
A minute and eight seconds into the second period, Garrett Wilson and Luke Witkowski dropped the gloves. They were hugging each other until Wilson threw a couple of punches before losing his balance and the referees broke it up.
Later in the second period, the Phantoms went on their first power play after Anthony Angello hooked Cooper Marody. Unfortunately, the Phantoms were unable to take advantage, and the score remained 1-0.
Late in the second period, Springfield made a push to tie the game, and once again, Sam Ersson stopped them. The Phantoms led 1-0 after two periods. They did a good job on both sides of the ice, allowing Springfield to only get three shots off. The Phantoms were aggressive in their play, slowing down Springfields’ momentum.
A minute and 18-seconds into the third period, Springfield tied the game 1-1. They were rushing towards the Phantoms’ zone when Luke Witkowski (1) fired the puck off the endboards and Nathan Todd (8) scored the goal. However, on the instant replay, it looked like Ersson kick the puck into his net. Matthew Kessel (5) picked up the secondary assist.
Nevertheless, the Phantoms found a way to get the lead back. On the rush, Cooper Marody (1) had a Thunderbirds’ defender on him but made a tremendous pass to Louie Belpedio (2) for a nice backhand shot through the five-hole and into the net for a 2-1 lead with 14:19 left in the game.
With two minutes left in the game, Springfield pulled Joel Hofer for an extra attacker. They spent the remaining minutes inside the Phantoms’ zone. Max Willman put his body on the line to block a shot. The Thunderbirds had three more chances to tie the game, but time expired. The Phantoms held on to a 2-1 win. This was their best game of the season to date.
The Phantoms finished the night with 26 shots, 0/1 on the power play, and Sam Ersson earned his second win of the season with 21 saves. Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds had 22 shots, 0/1 on the power play, and Joel Hofer made 24 saves.
The Phantoms finish the two-game homestand tonight at 7:05 pm against the Laval Rocket. Tickets for the game can be purchased on StubHub.
