A couple of the newest Phantoms stood out in Adirondack's away game at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as Ian Slater got involved in his first AHL fight and Marcel Noebels scored his first AHL goal. But their efforts were not enough to push Adirondack over the hump as they fell on the road 2-1 in their first meeting of the year against the Penguins.

Slater's bout with Bobby Farnham to open the second period was an impressive first go-round for the rookie from Western Michigan University who dealt several solid blows to his opponent.

Noebels' goal in the middle of the second period was a nice backhand flip of a rebound of an Oliver Lauridsen slapshot that tied the score at 1-1 at the time. The 20-year-old from Germany had scored 11 goals for Trenton of the ECHL earlier this year including 9 in the month of December. But this was his first for the Phantoms in just his fourth AHL game.

The loss ends Adirondack's two-game winning streak while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was able to win consecutive games for the first time in a couple of months in front of a sellout crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

The game lacked the transition and run-and-gun excitement of the previous night's engagement at the Binghamton Senators. Adirondack had chances to even the score in the closing minutes of the third and even had a 6-on-4 power play for the last 30 seconds. Brandon Manning had an opening for a big slapshot from the point during that advantage but his blast went wide and with that so went the Phantoms' chances of getting to Pens' goalie Brad Thiessen who battled his way through for the win.

Mostly though, Thiessen was not challenged as much as Adirondack would have liked. The Penguins defenders dove and sacrifice and scrambled their way in front of so many different Phantoms attempts and were able to block many other shots potentially earmarked for Thiessen's cage.

The game turned out to be a rude homecoming for Scott Munroe who took the loss against the team he played for last year.

Paul Thompson opened the scoring seven minutes into the first period on the rebound of a power-play shot kicked back out to him. Thompson picked up the carom on the let-wing side and was able to slide the second effort to the far post past Scott Munroe's left skate.

Noebels evened the scored in the second period to the delight of the many Phantoms and Flyers fans in attendance in northeastern Pennsylvania just two hours away from Philadelphia. His goal came on the right-wing side of the crease after Oliver Lauridsen's left-point slapper was kicked down and then pounced on by Noebels.

Harry Zolinerczyk had a couple of great chances for Adirondack in the second period. One of them was a set-up for Andrew Johnston in the slot as Zolnierczyk found the opening from behind the goal to Johnston right out in front but the one-timer that resulted glanced off Thiessen's shoulder and away.

A couple minutes later it was Zolnierczyk himself who had the best chance of the night as he found himself wide-open and completely in the clear on a breakaway. He saw an opening and got off a good shot but Thiessen flashed his glove and just the last instant to barely get a deflection of the Zolnierczyk drive off the edge of the mitt and keep Adirondack out of the net again.

Wilkes-Barre rushed in late in the second period with numbers and Brian Gibbons had the time to hold onto the puck for a tick in the right circle waiting for Brian Dumoulin trailing to hit the scene who converted with his blast over the glove of Munroe after perhaps giving a quick look down to freeze the Adirondack goalie.

That one goal would hold up through the duration of the third which was an exercise in board-battles and whistles in a period without much flow. Adirondack was finally able to turn on the offense and generate more chances in the closing minutes but ran out of time trying to come up the tying tally.

Healthy scratches for the Phantoms included Tyler Hostetter and Zack FitzGerald were healthy scratches for the Phantoms while injured scratches included Marc-Andre Bourdon, Ben Holmstrom, Matt Konan and Erik Gustafsson. Five other players still on the Adirondack roster were scratched because they are in Philadelphia awaiting the beginning of Flyers' Training Camp and they include Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, Tye McGinn, Eric Wellwood and Zac Rinaldo.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton also was without some of their top players who were on their way to Pittsburgh training camp including Philadelphia native Eric Tangredi, Beau Bennett, Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres.

Adirondack will travel again to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the last road visit to the Penguins on February 2.

Adirondack is off for the next week and then returns to action next Friday at home against Albany presented by Glens Falls Plastic Surgery. The Phantoms also have a home game the following Friday on January 25 on Pink in the Rink Night presented by Glens Falls Hospital with jersey auction proceeds to benefit the C.R. Wood Cancer Center. Get your tickets in advance and save by calling the Phantoms at 518-480-3355.

(pictured: Marcel Noebels)

Adirondack Phantoms 1 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2 - Status: Final
Saturday, January 12, 2013 - Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

Adirondack 0 1 0 - 1
W-B/Scranton 1 1 0 - 2

1st Period-1, W-B/Scranton, Thompson 11 (Smith, Dumoulin), 7:11 (PP). Penalties-Harper Adk (tripping), 6:11; Dupuis Wbs (interference), 7:43; Dimmen Adk (tripping), 11:42; Harper Adk (slashing), 15:18.

2nd Period-2, Adirondack, Noebels 1 (Lauridsen, Bordson), 8:36. 3, W-B/Scranton, Dumoulin 4 (Gibbons, Uher), 17:42. Penalties-Slater Adk (fighting), 0:01; Farnham Wbs (fighting), 0:01; Peters Wbs (slashing), 1:51; Holzapfel Wbs (roughing), 5:04; Harper Adk (cross-checking), 11:06.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Bordson Adk (holding), 11:17; Syvret Adk (hooking), 13:12; Dupuis Wbs (diving), 13:12; Peters Wbs (holding), 19:33.

Shots on Goal-Adirondack 8-9-6-23. W-B/Scranton 8-7-9-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 0 / 4; W-B/Scranton 1 / 5.
Goalies-Adirondack, Munroe 9-9-0 (24 shots-22 saves). W-B/Scranton, Thiessen 6-7-1 (23 shots-22 saves).
A-8,217
Referees-Darcy Burchell (42).
Linesmen-Scott Adams (20), Matt McNulty (26).

UPCOMING


Saturday, January 12 (7:05) - Adirondack Phantoms at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Monday, January 14 (7:00) - Phantoms Power Hour LIVE on Q101.7. Guest: Zack FitzGerald!

Friday, January 18 (7:00) - Albany Devils at Adirondack Phantoms. Presented by Glens Falls Plastic Surgery.

Saturday, January 19 (7:00) - Adirondack Phantoms at Worcester Sharks

Sunday, January 20 (4:00) - Adirondack Phantoms at Albany Devils (at Atlantic City, NJ)

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