By Michael Heilman

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms returned home Friday night to face off against their in-state rivals Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins at the PPL Center. The Phantoms were looking to continue their momentum after splitting last weekend’s series against the Charlotte Checkers.

Late into the first period, the Penguins went on the power play as Phantoms defensemen Tyler Wotherspoon was sent to the penalty box for tripping, giving the Penguins a two-minute power play. One minute and eighteen seconds later, the Penguins would capitalize on the power play as Sam Lafferty (1) scored to put the Penguins up 1-0. Jordy Bellerive (1) and Adam Johnson (3) assisted with Lafferty’s goal. With less than a minute left in the first period, the Penguins would take a 2-0 lead as Sam Miletic passed the puck to Stefan Noesen, who was all alone in a breakaway and beat Phantoms goalie Alex Lyon for the goal. This was Noesen’s tenth goal of the season as Sam Miletic (4), and Jon Lizotte (5) assisted Noesen’s goal. The Penguins took a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period.

Four minutes and forty-nine seconds into the second period, the Penguins took a commanding 3-0 lead as Anthony Angello (3) squeezed the puck to the right side that hit the post and bounced off of Alex Lyon for the Penguins goal. Andrew Agozzino (7), and Jon Lizotte (6) assisted Angello’s goal. With less than four minutes left in the second period, the Phantoms finally broke thought as T.J. Brennan shot the puck that deflected off of David Kase’s stick for the goal. Kase (1) was credited with the goal while T.J. Brennan (2), and Andy Welinski (1) assisted in Kase’s goal. The Phantoms were going to start on the power play in the beginning of the third period when Penguins defensemen David Warsofsky was called for slashing as time expired in the second period.

The Phantoms began to storm back a minute and forty-three seconds into the third period as Greg Carey shot the puck that hit Penguin’s goalie Casey DeSmith before Andy Andreoff rebounded the puck and scored to cut the Penguins lead 3-2. This was Andreoff’s third goal of the year while Greg Carey (3), and Morgan Frost (5) assisted in Andreoff’s goal. With two minutes left in the third period, the Phantoms would tie the game up 3-3 as T.J. Brennan shot the puck that deflected off of Greg Carey stick and went into the net. Greg Carey (2) scored with T.J. Brennan (3), and Andy Welinski (2) assisted in Carey’s goal. The third period would end with the game all tied up.

Overtime came and went with no change in the score, it was time for a shootout. The game ended when Penguins Joseph Blandisi scored the game-winning shot in the shootout to give the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins a 4-3 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Penguins Casey DeSmith made twenty-five saves out of twenty-eight while Phantoms goalie Alex Lyon made twenty saves out of twenty-three. The Phantoms had twenty-eight shots on goal while the Penguins had twenty-four shots on goal.

The three stars of the game were Penguins center Joseph Blandisi, who scored the game-winner in a shootout. Phantoms left-wing Greg Carey had one goal and one assist, and Phantoms forward David Kase had one goal.

The Phantoms will now hit the road again as they head to Bridgeport, CT to take on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Webster Bank Arena Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 5 pm.