The PPL Center hosted two exciting, but disappointing games this weekend, with the visiting teams winning both of them.  
The first game was against the Hershey Bears, who were beaten by the Phantoms the previous Sunday in a 10 round shoot-out thriller.  In Friday’s match, with 8265 people in attendance, the Phantoms struck first when a puck ricocheted off a Bear’s player, bounced off Aaron Palushaj’s stick and up over the right shoulder of the goalie and into the net!  It was one of the best goals all year.    Shayne Gostisbehere and Tim Brent were credited with the assists. This goal came at the 7:58 mark of the first period.  Still in the first, several minutes later at 11:17, Hershey scored next.   Stan Galiev hit a slap-shot past Phantoms Goalie Jason LaBarbera, while receiving assists from Carter Camper and Sean Collins.  This ended the scoring for the first period.
The second period was exciting but showed very little scoring as the game stayed all tied up for over 18 minutes.  Nathan Walker received a pass from Connor Carrick as he was flying across the blue line into Bears territory.   Walker then took a successful shot to take the lead for the visitors.  This ended the scoring in the second frame.
It didn’t take the Bears long to increase the lead in the third period.    Hershey’s Camper intercepted the puck being cleared from the back of the goal and shot right back the net.    The Phantom’s goalie, Jason LaBarbera, couldn’t get back in position in time.   The goal came at the 63 second mark and assists were awarded to Ryan Stanton and Sean Collins.   
Phantoms, however, were not done.  Just a few minutes later, while down 3-1, Mark Alt took the puck from the blue line and passed to Kevin Sundher.  Sundher drove in but was unable to score.   Alt then retrieved the puck again and left it in a perfect position for Tyrell Goulbourne to put it in the net.  Now with about 15 left in the game, the home was down just one score.
The Phantoms fought hard for the remainder of the third period, but couldn’t tie it up.  With just over a minute left, they pulled their goalie to put an extra attacker on the ice.   This proved fatal, however, as the Bears’ Chris Bourque hit an empty netter to put them up 4-2 and end the scoring.

The second game of the weekend was special because a favorite player from the inaugural Lehigh Phantoms team, Zack Stortini, came back to the ‘Center’ as an opposing player with the Binghamton Senators!  Stortini was met with emotions as many still like #45 and cheered him on and others were upset he left the team.   There was even a special guest in town to see Stort play, Brandon Manning now with Flyers.
The game started with a bang, as just 5 seconds after the first drop of the puck Golbourne and Stortini dropped the gloves.   Fortunately, or unfortunately as you’ll see later, the Phantom with fast hands and strong punch knock down the bigger Stortini with just a couple punches.   Stort had to be helped up to his wobbly legs and escorted off the ice by his teammates.    Some in the crowd were questioning whether or not he would return.   However, return he did!!
Now on to some hockey….   As the game resumed, it only took two minutes for the B-Sens to get the lead.  On a power-play, Eric O’Dell scored to make it 1-0 which would last for the remainder of the first period.   O’Dell was assisted by Tobias Lindberg and Colin Greening. 
The Phantoms then had a fast start at the beginning of the second frame.   At the 1:09 mark, Tim Brent took a pass from Chris Conner and took a decisive shot at the net and got the puck across the line to tie it up.   The assists on the goal were awarded to Conner and Andrew MacDonald. 
It would be fifteen minutes later until someone scored to break the tie.   That someone was Stortini, back on the ice and doing damage to the home team.   Greening took a shot that bounced off the crossbar and straight down, but the #45 was right there to push it across the line and make it 2-1 in favor of the visitors.     Besides Greening, David Dziurzynski also was credited with an assist, at 16:37.  The second period then came to end with no additional change in score.

The third period began and went on for a long time without a score.    The Phantoms seemed to play hard but perhaps a bit sloppy.  At the 14:31 mark, Binghamton’s Dziurzynski finally was able score, redirecting a shot by Guillaume Lepine.  Then, barely one minute later the B-Sens scored again on Stortini’s second tally of the night.  O’Dell took a shot that bounced right to the former Phantom, who put it right in the back of the net.   Stortini may have taken a beating early in game, but came back to beat his former team.
Game over – the Phantoms lost 4-2.
A rematch will take place on Wednesday up in Binghamton, but the Phantoms will be back at home this Friday, November 13th to play the Rochester Americans.   On Saturday, the host the Albany Devils.

Until next time….. Have a good day!

The atmosphere Saturday night in the PPL Center was electric, with a sell-out crowd of almost 8500 fans ready for the opening night of Phantoms hockey!!   Lehigh Valley took on the Syracuse Crunch in a game that entertained and frustrated the phans.  The Crunch ultimately won the contest 4-3.
Both teams were aggressive to the puck and went up and down the ice for nine minutes before Syracuse opened the scoring with a goal by Mike Blunden.  He was assisted by Mike Angelidis and Henri Ikonen.   Getting behind didn’t get the Phantoms down.   Just about two minutes later they tied up a game when Aaron Palushaj found the back of the net on a power play, assisted by Taylor Leier and Shayne “Ghost” Gostisbehere. 
The Crunch then went on a roll and scored two goals in a relatively short amount of time.   At the 14:31 mark, Jonathan Marchessault scored to make it 2-1.  This time Joel Vermin and Dylan Blujus got the assists.   It looked grim and the phans were getting upset just a few minutes later when Philippe Paradis took a rebound and put it right back towards the net and it went in.   Tanner Richard took the original shot, to get the assist, and Anthony DeAngelo also was scored an assist.  The ended a very active first period.
Syracuse continued the assault in the second period when Marchessault scored another goal at about the 6:00 mark, assisted by Blujus and Jeff Tambelini.
The Phantoms did not give up, even being down 3, and dug deep to cut into the lead with another score, this time by Chris Conner.   Conner got a hold of a Pavel Padakin rebound and lit the lamp at 9:17.  Michael Parks got the secondary assist.  This goal ended the scoring of the second frame.
The third period was filled with a lot of excitement as they went up and down the ice, back and forth, for over 16 minutes before another puck crossed the line.    Lehigh Valley made it a 1 score game at 16:31 on an even-strength tally by Danick Martel.   Nick Cousins and Conner received credit for the assists.
All in all, despite the loss it was a good game for the home team.    Good things happened throughout the contest and can be used to build upon for the future. 
The Phantoms will be away for a couple weeks and their next home game will be Saturday, October 24th.   Come on out and enjoy the show! 
Until next time….. Have a good day!