Game played on 12/13/2024.
General Game Notes: Youngstown was able to come away with a pretty convincing win tonight scoring eight goals, two of them to start the game under two minutes in. Bounces and being able to capitalize on the Gamblers mistakes was a huge reason as to why the Phantoms were able to come away with such a decisive victory.
Lukas Peterson (D, R, 5’9″, 167, Green Bay Gamblers, 02/15/2006, Maine)
Grade: B
Comments: Peterson is a typical smaller offensive defenseman. He has great puck handling and mobility that really blend together. He is mostly offensive but can defend and break pucks out. Another aspect of his defensive play is his ability to absorb hits and retain the puck against bigger peers. While he may not be a six foot three physical specimen, Peterson uses his skating, anticipation and angles in combination with his relative strength rather well. Nine out of ten times Zellweger will win the foot race to loose pucks. When forced to engage in the corners or along the boards, he is a great exponent of jamming his direct opponent with his stick and uses his upper body as leverage to contain.
Andrew O’Sullivan (D, R, 5’11”, 166, Green Bay Gamblers, 08/15/2006, Colgate)
Grade: B-
Comments: O’Sullivasn has more of a two way game. At times his mistake offensively seemed avoidable. Simple plays like using the boards properly and effectively reduces turnover percentages and cuts the ice surface down dramatically. Whilst these are not plays you can make shift to shift, O’Sullivan makes them when needed and when he sees fit. He can skate and is confident in his ability to create space while skating out of his end and into the opposing end. A pass will do half the time to create these breakouts but he insists on using his feet.
Aidan Park (C, R, 6’1″, 188, Green Bay Gamblers, 01/06/2006, Michigan)
Grade: B+
Comments: Park scored a goal on the power play litereally being in the right spot. A shot from the point went off his pads and into the back of the net, a nice bounce but at least he was in the right spot to be. Adding some strength to help with one on one battles and to have some more strength when on the puck will only allow him to extend his possessions. He should be holding on to pucks longer and let plays develop more. Too many times tonight under pressure he was seen throwing pucks away when he has the skill and size to do more. Park does have some good straight line spee. He did an excellent job of pushing the outside of the ice to give himself more room and time to make a play, in addition, he can be deceptive by lowering his shoulder and then being able to cut up.
Adam Benak (C, L, 5’7″, 160, Youngstown Phantoms, 04/10/2007)
Grade: A-
Comments: Best player on the ice tonight, Benak is a threat from almost everywhere in the offensive zone. Scored a nice goal early into the game that really had his team buzzing. Benak capitalized on a turnover that his teammate caused and was able to get a pass alone with the goalie. After a right left move he tucked it in tight over the goalie. Nice move that showed off his hands and ability to be creative at the crease. One aspect of his game that stood out was his passing in the offensive zone is elite, he likes to work along the half walls looking to find lanes cross ice or for players cycling down low and at the net front. He is smaller in stature not doubt but has the type of agility that allows him to create chase from the larger player. His goal is a perfect example how he likes to get lost behind the play.
Evan Jardine (LW, L, 5’11”, 180, Youngstown Phantoms, 10/23/2007, Harvard)
Grade: B+
Comments: Jardine scored the lone power play goal tonight for the Phantoms. Just simply following up his play, he was able to bury home a rebound that was just sitting there for him. After a creative entry on his part, Jardine kicked the puck out wide, but instead of floating to the top of the zone, he followed the puck to the net and was able to connect on a play being in the right spot at the right time. Jardine was also able to show tonight that he can really hammer the puck, it was noticeable to say the least. One or two strides, a quick violent release and the puck is on net. Both slap shots and wrist shots, you can tell he puts everything into it.
Michael Burchill (C, R, 5’10”, 166, Youngstown Phantoms, 04/29/2005, Northern Michigan)
Grade: A-
Comments: Burchill was able to score two goals tonight one of them only thirty seconds into the second period. From one of the best passes in the game and maybe the entire year, Burchill broke free behind the defenseman to catch a rink long sauce pass for a breakaway. After a couple stick handles, he snapped one quickly past the goalie that did not expect a shot off as quickly as it happened. Burchill has a low center of gravity with a wide stride that allow him to both have a good jump out of a stance, and good straightaway speed. The defenseman that was covering him was not even that far behind but it was the split second that he decided to take his eyes off that Burchill took advantage of. He can kill as well and showed that he is trusted enough to log penalty kill minutes and proves not only to be competent, but his explosiveness and thirst for the puck make for a dangerous combination for teams on the advantage.
Coleson Hanrahan (F, L, 5’10”, 170, Youngstown Phantoms, 04/16/2005, UMass Amherst)
Grade: B+
Comments: Hanrahan plays a solid two way game. Tonight he was able to capitalize on some offense that he normally does not get. He scored a nice goal late in the game, last goal of the game, getting a pass at the point and simply just getting a shot off quickly. This goal went in because of traffic in front of the goalie but Hanrahan had to get it through the traffic and he did this with his head up, found a lane with his feet getting to the middle, and this quickness of his shot made it so most opponents looking to block the shot were still at the wall. Hanrahan is not overly offensive but does have some subtle head fakes and freezes defenders with his clever edge work.
Michael Coleman (RW, R, 6’0″, 172, Youngstown Phantoms, 04/30/2005, UMass Amherst)
Grade: B
Comments: Just beat his player off the wall to the front of the net where he was able to jam home a puck laying there. Under a minute into the game, this type of goal and how early it was, really set the tempo for the night. He was able to showcase tonight that when forced to engage in the corners or along the boards, he is a great exponent of jamming his direct opponent with his stick and uses his upper body as leverage to contain. Coleman likes to be physical and is strong for his size, there is not an evident small guy mindset where he will favor to sit away from scrums and avoid puck battles.
Kade Stengrim (F, L, 6’4″, 195, Youngstown Phantoms, 06/09/2007, St. Cloud)
Grade: B+
Comments: Stengrim is a bigger sized forward who did a good job at showing how to be effective along the walls and in front of the net by using his size. Multiple times tonight he was able to reverse check guys looking to steal the puck. With his head on a swivel along the walls, he was able to turn and get his back side to protect pucks and still be a threat while having possession. One-on-one he is not always going to have adequate room to escape and make elite plays nor is he always going to be strong enough to burst through contact, so being able to negate a forecheck and not create turnovers is a key to Stengrims game.
Jamison Sluys (C, L, 5’10”, 195, Youngstown Phantoms, 09/03/2005, Western Michigan)
Grade: B+
Comments: Sluys scored a nice goal off the faceoff getting a slot pass no one aroud him. He was able to bury home a one timer from in close, nice goal. He is smaller in stature and with his size comes the ability to be agile and shifty. Being shifty allows for Sluys to float somewhat positionally defensivly. I would not say that he is bad in terms of positioning nor elite. His athleticism and understanding of angles and how close on attackers works, he does a great job of reading opposing forwards and sharking passes in both the defensive and neutral zones. This is how he defends, being in the way rather than closing on a guys. He does a good job at leading with his stick.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images