Phantoms Begin USHL Regular Season Play

September 30, 2010 - United States Hockey League (USHL) - Youngstown Phantoms News Release





YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - This weekend the Youngstown Phantoms will travel to Des Moines and Chicago to open their 2010-2011 regular season schedule.

The Phantoms travel to Buccaneer Arena as they face-off against the Des Moines Buccaneers tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. The Phantoms open their season against a Buccaneers squad that they beat three out of four times last season, outscoring the Bucs 17-16. Three of the four games were decided by a one-goal margin. Both teams come into tomorrow's contest with new head coaches leading their respective programs. While Curtis Carr is behind the Phantoms bench for his first full season as head coach, the Bucs return former coach Regg Simon to the helm, a position he held from for four years (2004-2008). A Phantoms victory would end the Bucs two game, home opener winning streak.

On Saturday, the Phantoms travel to "The Edge" for a match up against the Chicago Steel at 7:30 p.m. The Phantoms will face a former teammate, Dan Senkbeil who was dealt to the Steel two weeks ago. The Phantoms dominated the Steel last season, posting a 5-0 record and outscoring the Chicago 30 to 17. The Phantoms continued their stronghold on the Steel in this year's pre-season. The Steel traveled to Youngstown on September 11 only to leave with a 5-1 defeat. The Steel took part in the six-team coaching carousel that the USHL saw this summer. Jon Waibel was named head coach of the Steel after former coach Steve Poapst took an assistant coaching job with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. The Phantoms enter this game after a 3-3 pre-season, while the Steel posted a 1-6 record in seven pre-season games.

Phantoms blueliner, Justin Stevens, feels that the Phantoms have done everything asked of them to fully prepare for the regular season.

"We have been here for about a month," said Stevens. "We have been working hard everyday, hitting the gym in the morning and practicing in the afternoon. We have definitely put our work in to prepare for the season. The Fall Classic helped our guys learn about this level and it helped the whole team adapt to the high level of play. I feel we are definitely ready to go."

For Head Coach Curtis Carr, there is a simple strategy on how to win games on the USHL level.

"All the guys are excited to get the season going," said Carr. "I expect us to play a physical style of hockey with a lot of intensity. Simply put, we need to outwork the other team. Any team in this league can win games, if you do not play a full sixty minutes you will not come out on top. Our guys have to understand that they will have to work hard for the whole game to secure a victory."

Preparation is key for a hockey team to be successful on game night. Carr and his players made sure that game video from the Fall Classic played a dominant role for this past week.

"We focused on the little things," said Carr. "We focused on every detail. We made sure that we fine-tuned our systems with a lot of video work from Sioux City. The guys are in the business side of it now, everyday is a tryout and every time they hit the ice they understand that they are playing for their jobs."

Phantom Phans can watch the game for seven dollars via, www.americaone.com. Follow the link for PPV and click on "hockey".

The Phantoms home opener will be played on October 16 at 7:30 p.m. against the Green Bay Gamblers.. The Phantoms will be giving away magnetic schedules. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, October 1 and they can be purchased at the Covelli Centre starting at 10:00 a.m. Fans can also visit www.ticketmaster.com or stop in at your local Ticketmaster outlet.

Season, partial, and group tickets for the 2010-11 season are available now. Premium packages start as low as $264 for all 30 home games. As a season ticket holder you receive invites to Season Ticket Holder events, Playoff Ticket Priority, and many other great benefits. For more info, call 330-747-7825. For the complete schedule, please visit www.youngstownphantoms.com.

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