By WJBC Staff
BLOOMINGTON – A great start turned into a sour finish for the Bloomington Thunder on Friday night, who fell to the Youngstown Phantoms 3-2 at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum. The Phantoms overcame an early two-goal deficit to score three unanswered over the second and third periods. It is just the second loss for the Thunder since the New Year and halted the Thunder’s (20-11-2-1) four-game win streak. The Phantoms (17-11-3-5) are one point behind the Thunder in the Eastern Conference after the win.
It was a quick start on special teams as both Brogan Rafferty (Quinnipiac University) and Patrick Curry scored goals on the power play to start the game. Rafferty netted the first goal just 17 seconds into the power play and 2:46 into the period. The shot sailed over the glove of Ryan Bednard (Bowling Green State University, Florida Panthers) from the right wing side. It was the second of the season for the West Dundee, IL native.
Curry then netted his seventh of the season to give the team a 2-0 lead three minutes later. Bloomington worked the puck down to Tarek Baker (University of Wisconsin) and Logan Lambdin for the feed to Curry in front of the net. The goal found its way into the net and gave Baker his second point of the night. The Verona, WI native has 13 points over eight straight games.
The Thunder would finish the night 2-for-4 on the power play as the team could not cash in through the second and third periods. Bednard finished strong for the Phantoms and made 32 saves on the night to earn his 11th win of the year.
Despite outshooting the Phantoms 14-4 in the second period, Youngstown was the only team to grab a goal. A harmless play off a faceoff found its way to the stick of Alex Esposito (University of Vermont) on the back door. After Tommy Apap (Michigan State University) won the faceoff, Kevin Conley (University of Denver) got a shot blocked and Esposito put home his 10th goal of the season. Somehow it made its way through the goaltender Hayden Lavigne (University of Michigan) who finished the night with 21 saves. It was his first loss since December as the netminder now has a 15-5-0-1 record.
Bloomington killed off each penalty kill in the game but moments after their final kill, Chase Person (University of Notre Dame, Detroit Red Wings) would put home another strange goal. The first two shots were blocked in front of the net during the third period and the NHL Draft Pick had the puck home for a third chance. His shot found the net and gave him 31 points (9g, 22a) as the second scorer on Phantoms tied it at two with 12 more minutes to play.
As the game headed to the waning minutes, Connor Moore (Boston College) netted the game-winning goal. A shot from the blue line found its way through a screen and found the net with less than three minutes to play. The goal was the Phantoms leading defenseman’s third of the year. The reigning Defenseman of the Week continued his four game point streak with his ninth point.
