Lehigh Valley Concludes 5-Game Road-Trip with 3-2-0 Record
March 21, 2015
Worcester, MA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms made their last ever appearance at DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts whose Sharks are moving to California next season. The game did not exactly go as the Phantoms had envisioned in a 6-1 setback on the road.
Lehigh Valley’s five-game road-trip began promisingly with three consecutive victories at Toronto, Providence and Bridgeport but the team was unable to carry-over the momentum to the following weekend as they concluded with a still-successful 3-2-0 record on the stretch.
Anthony Stolarz gutted out the entire game allowing six goals in which he certainly couldn’t shoulder much of the blame. The Phantoms saved Rob Zepp on the sidelines so that he could start Sunday’s home game with fresh legs on the other side of the team’s five-hour overnight bus ride home.
Brandon Manning (11th) scored the lone goal for the Phantoms with a power-play tally from the right wing on a feed by Andrew Gordon as Lehigh Valley cut into the 5-0 deficit in the third.
The Sharks took control early with a three-goal outburst in the first period including the first-ever pro goal for Union College standout (and former Shayne Gostisbeheree teammate) Daniel Ciampini followed by tallies by captain Bryan Lerg (13th) and Rylan Schwartz (4th).
Worcester added a couple more in the second from Ryan Carpenter (10th) and Willie Coetzee (9th) and then capped the scoring late in the third on a two-on-one conversion by John McCarthy (12th).
The Phantoms return to PPL Center on Sunday evening with a 5:05 clash against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the opener of a four-game homestand. Sunday’s game is Youth Street Hockey Stick Night for the first 3,000 kids age 14 and younger. Sunday’s game is the first of a four-game homestand that also features tilts on Wednesday against the Syracuse Crunch and next weekend with Saturday night and Sunday afternoon engagements against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Manchester on March 28th and 29th.
Check it out! Reserve your season tickets now for the 2015-2016 season of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey. For more information on how to reserve your seat at PPL Center to the hottest ticket in town call the Phantoms front office today at 610-224-GOAL (4625)!
Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1 at Worcester Sharks 6 – Status: Final
Saturday, March 21, 2015 – DCU Center
Lehigh Valley 0 0 1 – 1
Worcester 3 2 1 – 6
1st Period-1, Worcester, Ciampini 1 (Bonneau, Young), 5:16. 2, Worcester, Lerg 13 (Taormina, Tennyson), 10:57. 3, Worcester, Schwartz 4 (McCarthy), 16:03. Penalties-Jones Lv (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:21.
2nd Period-4, Worcester, Carpenter 10 (Bonneau, Ciampini), 2:57. 5, Worcester, Coetzee 9 (Haley, Oleksuk), 11:55. Penalties-Stortini Lv (roughing), 5:17; Lauridsen Lv (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 6:29; Hayes Wor (goaltender interference), 6:29.
3rd Period-6, Lehigh Valley, Manning 11 (Stortini, Gordon), 4:55 (PP). 7, Worcester, McCarthy 12 (Hayes), 15:45. Penalties-Stollery Wor (interference), 2:53; Carpenter Wor (tripping), 3:59; Gordon Lv (tripping), 16:05.
Shots on Goal-Lehigh Valley 9-7-13-29. Worcester 13-12-5-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Lehigh Valley 1 / 2; Worcester 0 / 3.
Goalies-Lehigh Valley, Stolarz 9-12-0 (30 shots-24 saves). Worcester, Dell 10-5-0 (29 shots-28 saves).
A-6,131
Referees-Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Ed Boyle (81), Chris Low (88).
Upcoming Home Games:
Sunday, March 22, 2015 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 5:05 PM
(Youth Street Hockey Stick Giveaway (first 3,000 kids ages 14 and under)! Charities Night! Post-Game Jersey Auction!)
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Syracuse Crunch vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 PM
($2 Beer Night! $2 Coors Light drafts available from the time doors open until the start of the 2nd period.)
Saturday, March 28, 2015 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 PM
(Faith Night! Post-Game Concert!)
In their 19th season of operation, the Phantoms are currently in the midst of their Inaugural Season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms playing at the brand-new PPL Center. Established in 1996, the Phantoms spent their first 13 seasons at the Spectrum before re-locating to Glens Falls, New York in 2009 where the team spent the next five seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. A new era of Phantoms hockey began in the fall of 2014 when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms began play at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Through 18 incredibly successful campaigns, the Phantoms have captured two Calder Cup Championships (1998, 2005), two Conference Championships (1998, 2005), two Regular Season Titles (1996-97, 1997-98) and four Division Championships (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04).
